Department for Transport

Bus Services: Rural Areas

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the results of the mobility fund projects; and whether he plans to release further funding to support demand responsive transport in rural areas.

Lucy Frazer: Our £20m Rural Mobility Fund is supporting 17 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas. These pilots are exploring whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone. It is too early to assess the full impact of the pilots. Each scheme is taking part in a detailed monitoring and evaluation process. This will provide a strong base of evidence and good practice for DRT and a better understanding of both the role it can play and the challenges associated with introducing it.There are not currently plans for further bespoke DRT funding. Whilst it is for Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) to determine and prioritise investment in local transport, the Government’s National Bus Strategy asked all LTAs outside London to publish a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) covering the full area, including parts with differing needs, such as rural elements. The Strategy encourages new forms of bus provision in areas that are currently not adequately served by conventional timetabled buses. It is clear that DRT can play a part in delivering this. Funding has recently been allocated to 34 LTAs following assessment of their BSIPs, some of which include proposals for DRT.

Doncaster Sheffield Airporty: Closures

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment of the potential impact of the closure of Doncaster-Sheffield Airport on local businesses operating on that site.

Kevin Foster: The Government is committed to regional airports. They are key to serving our local communities, supporting thousands of jobs in the regions, and they act as a key gateway to international opportunities. While the UK Government supports airports, it does not own or operate them. The Department for Transport recognises the importance of Doncaster Sheffield Airport to the region. The Aviation Minister made clear in meetings both with the South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and the Peel Group the Government’s desire to see a viable aviation future for the airport. Officials and the Minister have and will continue to meet with local stakeholders such as the Mayor, local MPs and businesses with a direct relationship with the airport to understand the potential impact of the review to the Yorkshire regions.

Department for Transport: Sports

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total amount spent on her Department’s sports and wellbeing day was on 22 July 2022.

Kevin Foster: No Departmental funding was granted for this event.

Avanti West Coast: Standards

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) enforce compliance of Avanti West Coast with the Train Service Requirement in its franchise agreement.

Kevin Foster: The Department continues to monitor Avanti’s performance on an ongoing basis.The Department will follow all due legal and contractual processes in determining what action to take.

Railways: Industrial Disputes

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason he plans not to participate in the negotiations between rail operators and unions representing rail workers.

Kevin Foster: It is for unions and employers to resolve industrial disputes. In this instance the employers are the rail companies, not the Government.

Department for Transport: EU Law

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in their Department are working on Retained EU Law legislation.

Kevin Foster: The information requested could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Question

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) adequacy and (b) efficiency of the speed of existing electric vehicle charge points.

Kevin Foster: The Government recognises the importance of having a comprehensive electric vehicle charging network, one which is reliable and suitable for all electric vehicles. To date, Government and industry have supported the installation of over 32,900 publicly available charging devices including more than 6,100 rapid devices – one of the largest networks in Europe. We expect a comprehensive national charging infrastructure network will include a mix of charging speeds and technologies, depending on the needs of different locations and users. In March, the government committed to mandating a 99% reliability metric across the rapid charging network. Rapid charging will be crucial for long distance journeys. Government has already committed to support enough new electrical capacity to deliver 6,000 ultra-rapid charge points along motorways and major A-roads by 2035. For local charging, locally led planning is crucial to ensure the diverse needs of different areas are appropriately considered. Our research shows drivers without off-street parking have varied preferences when it comes to EV charging. Charging speed is important, but proximity to home is a critical factor for many people. The £450 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund will help enable strategic local provision of public EV infrastructure ahead of need to promote a more equitable EV charging experience for those without off-street parking.

Driving Tests

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the availability of practical driving tests.

Kevin Foster: Driver testing services were significantly disrupted during the pandemic, which has led to a high demand for learners who are now wanting to take their driving test.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can, with several measures in place to do this. These include offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends), and resuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.The DVSA is also recruiting more than 300 driving examiners across Great Britain. The DVSA’s examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, the DVSA is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses.To reduce the number of driving tests which go to waste, the DVSA has introduced a text messaging service to remind candidates about their test, and has also launched a ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign to improve learners’ understanding of what it means to be test ready and how they can assess their own readiness.

Road Traffic Offences: Fixed Penalties

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving from paper notices attached to the vehicle to sending Fixed Penalty Notices for parking offences directly to the registered keeper's address.

Robert Courts: No assessment has been made of dispensing with paper notices. In 2015, Ministers limited the use of CCTV evidence to specific, more serious parking contraventions and, in those cases, penalties may be sent directly to the registered keeper’s address. For other parking contraventions, the penalty notice must be fixed to the vehicle. This has the advantage of allowing the driver to understand immediately when and how they have contravened and to record the exact circumstances should they wish to challenge the penalty.

Department for Transport: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many payments were fraudulently charged to his Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22; and what was the total value of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.

Kevin Foster: There were no payments fraudulently charged to the Department's budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22.

Cars: Insurance

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department is taking steps to reduce disparities in car insurance costs between residents of the UK who were born in the UK and those who were born outside the UK.

Robert Courts: Motor insurers are responsible for setting the price of motor insurance premiums based on their underwriting experience, and it is for them to decide the level of risk that they take in issuing any policy to a given applicant. They use a range of criteria to assess the potential risk a driver poses. This includes the applicant’s age, postcode, the type of vehicle and their driving record and experience. It might also include other risk factors such as whether the driver was born in the UK or abroad. This is a commercial decision for individual insurers and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. There are no plans to change this approach.

Railways: Accidents

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail regarding the provision of supporting evidence to the Office of Rail and Road setting out the steps taken in implementing safety recommendations following the train derailment at Stonehaven, near Carmont, during August 2020.

Kevin Foster: Shortly after the tragic train derailment near Stonehaven in August 2020, Network Rail commissioned Dame Julia Slingo and Lord Robert Mair to recommend improvements that would help better manage extreme rainfall risk. The reports, and Network Rail’s improvement programme plan to act on them, were shared with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Department for Transport (DfT). In February 2022, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and a specialist industry team made further recommendations following an investigation into the incident. This additional work has been incorporated within the improvement programme and ORR and DfT officials have received updates as the plan has developed. Network Rail have maintained regular formal and informal dialogue with ORR and DfT to support their monitoring and keep them aware of the good progress that has been made. In addition, ORR and DfT representatives sit as observers on Network Rail’s programme oversight board.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Nationalisation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority on public ownership of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority on finding investors for Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Robert Courts: The Government is committed to regional airports. They are key to serving our local communities, supporting thousands of jobs in the regions, and they act as a key gateway to international opportunities. While the UK Government supports airports, it does not own or operate them.The Minister for Aviation recognises the importance of Doncaster Sheffield Airport to the region and has made clear in meetings both with the South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and the Peel Group the Government’s desire to see a viable aviation future for the airport. The Minister has urged Mayor Coppard to work with all parties to find a locally led solution to preserve aviation at Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.

Parking: Private Sector

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the matter in which the private parking industry is using its access to DVLA records.

Robert Courts: The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details to third parties in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards. This includes the release of information to help manage parking on private land. To ensure motorists are treated fairly, the DVLA will only provide information to private parking companies that are members of an appropriate accredited trade association and adhere to an enforceable code of practice. The DVLA audits external data users to ensure information is requested and used appropriately.

Department for Transport: Aviation

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's Annual Report 2021-22, how many domestic flights were taken by (a) ministers and (b) officials during the period covered by that report.

Robert Courts: The department does not hold a consolidated record of the specific number of domestic flights taken by ministers or officials. From records currently available, the number of domestic flights taken by representatives of the Department for Transport in 2021-22 was 2,288.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Prices

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to resume fracking as a way of extracting shale gas; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a resumption on (a) energy prices and (b) the extent to which the UK is self-sufficient in meeting its energy requirements.

Graham Stuart: The Government will end the pause on extracting shale gas. It is right that all possible energy generation and production methods are kept on the table following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Having domestic sources of gas makes us less dependent on foreign imports.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) financial penalties and (b) criminal prosecutions there were for offences under the Employment Agencies Standards Regulations in each year since 2010; and how many and what proportion of prosecutions for such offences led to a conviction in each year since 2010.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Employment Agencies Standards inspectorate (EAS) does not issue financial penalties as it’s legislation does not include provisions to do so. Below is a table setting out the number of prosecutions finalised in each year since 2010 and the proportion of convictions based on Financial Years. The number is low as there are other routes used by EAS to achieve compliance with the legislation and prosecution is considered as a last resort: YearNumber of ProsecutionsProportion resulting in conviction2009/10002010/11002011/12002012/13450%2013/142100%2014/152100%2015/161100%2016/17002017/18002018/193100%2019/202100%2020/213100%2021/225100%

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the terms of reference are for the review of Operation Tacit by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement; what estimate he has made of when that review will be completed; and if he will publish the findings of that review.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Director of Labour Market Enforcement is an independent statutory office holder. The terms of reference, timing, and publication of her review are matters for her.

Conditions of Employment: Enforcement

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it remains the Government’s policy to establish a single enforcement body for employment rights, as stated in its response of June 2021 to a consultation on proposals for such an enforcement body.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The creation of a single enforcement body for employment rights requires primary legislation which will only be introduced when parliamentary time allows. The creation of this new body will be a substantial organisational change, so it is right that we take our time to thoroughly consider all aspects of this reform before proceeding.

Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate: Staff

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of all full-time equivalent staff employed by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate work in front-line roles involving site inspections as of 6 September 2022.

Jackie Doyle-Price: As of 6th September 2022, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate employ 27.4 FTE staff in frontline roles involving site inspections.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many payments were fraudulently charged to his Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22; and what the total value was of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: No payments charged to the Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards during financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22 were identified as fraudulent.

Energy: Prices

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what long term steps he is taking to help prevent future energy price crises.

Graham Stuart: To fix the UK’s energy market for the long-term, a new Energy Supply Taskforce will agree long-term contracts with domestic and international suppliers to reduce the price of energy and increase the security of its supply. The Government will enhance the UK’s energy security by boosting the production of domestic oil and gas, accelerating its ambitions for the deployment of technologies such as nuclear and offshore wind, and supporting innovation in emerging technologies

District Heating

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of households that receive their heating from heat network systems in the latest period for which data is available.

Graham Stuart: The most recently available experimental statistics on heat networks were published in March 2018, when there were 439,549 households that received their heating from heat network systems: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-trends-march-2018-special-feature-article-experimental-statistics-on-heat-networks ONS statistics showed that there were 27.6 million households in the UK in 2018.Therefore, in 2018 approximately 1.6% of households received their heating from heat network systems.

Business: Energy and Inflation

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with the Confederation of British Industry on (a) the impact of (i) inflation and (ii) increases in energy costs on businesses and (b) steps he is taking to help ensure that businesses continue to operate.

Graham Stuart: My rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has regular engagement with the CBI as well as many other stakeholders, including other business organisations and individual businesses. Those discussions frequently focus on the current economic climate and the opportunities and issues that businesses are facing, including inflation and increases in energy costs.

Public Houses: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help support pubs in Newport West constituency with increases in the cost of energy.

Graham Stuart: The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support. The Government is also supporting pubs with business rates relief, freezing alcohol duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits, and by increasing the employment allowance.

Hospitality Sector: Energy

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to assist (a) pubs, (b) bars and (c) restaurants with rising energy bills.

Graham Stuart: The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support. The Government is also supporting pubs with business rates relief, freezing alcohol duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits, and by increasing the employment allowance.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that residents on park home sites in Shropshire receive the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount in circumstances where the site owner is the energy account holder and residents pay their energy bills to the site owner.

Graham Stuart: On 29 July, the Government set out further details of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by EBSS, such as park homes residents. The Government will be announcing details in the Autumn for how these households will receive the £400 of support This support will be provided alongside the ‘Energy Price Guarantee’ which will mean a typical UK household will pay, on average, no more than £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years.

Energy: Standing Charges

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact that (a) reducing or (b) removing the standing charge on energy bills will have on alleviating cost pressures on consumers.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he take steps to reduce the standard charge on energy bills to alleviate financial pressure for consumers.

Graham Stuart: Energy suppliers use standing charges to recover the on-going costs to provide a live supply, regardless of a consumer’s usage. The largest element of the standing charge is the cost of the electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks, which vary depending on different geographical area. Reducing or removing the standing charge would likely see the system costs being added to the unit price of energy. This could result in increased bills for high energy users, such as those with medical equipment used at home.

Energy Bills Rebate: Caravan Sites

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether people living in mobile homes on caravan sites who do not have a conventional gas supplier but buy gas canisters will receive the £400 supplement under Energy Bills Support Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: On 29 July, the Government set out further details of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by EBSS, such as park homes residents. The Government will shortly announce how these households will receive the £400 of support.

Health Hazards: Fossil Fuels

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the research by Clark, C. et al. entitled Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Exposure and Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case–Control Study in Pennsylvania, 2009–2017, published in Environmental Health Perspectives on 17 August 2022.

Graham Stuart: Onshore exploration for oil and gas in the UK is strictly regulated by expert bodies including the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. This applies to both unconventional and conventional sources of oil and gas. Those bodies are best placed to consider the applicability of studies from other countries with significantly different regulations and production contexts, to the UK, and to provide guidance accordingly. The Government will continue to follow the expert advice of regulators to manage risks to the public appropriately.

Energy: Price Caps

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of (a) energy firms and (b) Ofgem on the potential merits of introducing an energy price cap for commercial customers.

Graham Stuart: The Government regularly engages with energy firms and Ofgem to understand the impact rising energy prices have on businesses of all sizes. The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support. Further details regarding the scheme will be published shortly.

Business: Energy

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of rising energy bills on the viability of businesses; and if he will make an estimate of the number of businesses forecast to close in the next two years.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in regular contact with business groups and suppliers to understand the challenges they face and explore ways to protect consumers and businesses. The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

Business: Energy

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the British Chamber of Commerce, (b) Hospitality UK, (c) the Federation of Small Businesses, (d) Make UK and (e) the Institute for Family Business on the potential impact of rising energy bills on British businesses.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in regular contact with business groups and suppliers to understand the challenges they face and explore ways to protect consumers and businesses. The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

Small Businesses: Energy

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of providing additional support for SMEs in the context of rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues including the impact rising energy prices will have on businesses of all sizes. The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

Small Businesses: Energy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to seek an extension of the energy price cap to include small businesses.

Graham Stuart: The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. The scheme will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

Energy: Government Assistance

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support businesses with rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. The scheme will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support. The Government is also providing a 50% business rates relief for businesses across the UK and reducing employer’s national insurance. This is in addition to the billions in grants and loans offered throughout the pandemic.

Energy: Costs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) all residents receives support with their energy costs and (b) pensioners and those receiving social security payments have the cost of their energy bills capped at an affordable level.

Graham Stuart: From 1 October, a new Energy Price Guarantee will mean a typical UK household will, on average, pay no more than £2,500 a year on its energy bill for the next two years. This is in addition to the support the Government announced earlier this year, which includes the £400 rebate via the Energy Bills Support Scheme, a one-off £300 payment for pensioners, a one-off £650 payment for those on means-tested benefits and a one-off £150 payment for the disabled. Council Tax rebates have also been provided to households living in council tax bands A to D.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Prices

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to support liquified petroleum gas off grid gas users with the rising cost of fuel.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Price Guarantee will benefit all Great Britain households who are grid connected and buy gas or electricity directly from a supplier. Where equivalent support is needed the Government will provide it to those whose homes are powered differently, including park homes, heat networks and, off grid households.

Energy Intensive Industries: Energy

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of rising energy prices on energy intensive industries.

Graham Stuart: The Government remains determined to secure a competitive future for our energy intensive industries (EIIs), providing them with extensive support, including over £2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs. As part of our British Energy Security Strategy we recently announced an extension of the EII Compensation Scheme for a further three years and its budget will be more than doubled. The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

Personal Independence Payment: Warm Home Discount Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of removing eligibility for the warm home discount scheme from people who receive Personal Independence Payments on their ability to meet the costs of heating their homes.

Graham Stuart: Around 62% of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) recipients also receive one of the qualifying means-tested benefits and so would be considered low-income under the Core Group 2 criteria. Those with high energy costs would therefore be eligible for a rebate. The Government’s analysis shows that 160,000 more households, where there is a person with a disability or long-term illness, will receive a rebate each winter compared to the previous scheme.

Natural Gas: Electricity

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help separate the link between the cost of gas and electricity.

Graham Stuart: The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), first announced in the British Energy Security Strategy, will consider how the long-term role of gas as a price setter for electricity could be reduced.

Glass: Industry

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the glass industry.

Graham Stuart: The Government is determined to secure a competitive future for energy intensive industries (EIIs) including the glass industry. In recent years, the Government has provided EIIs with extensive support, including more than £2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs. The British Energy Security Strategy announced the three-year extension of the EII Compensation Scheme, doubling its budget. The Strategy also announced a consultation on plans to consider increasing support offered by the related EII Exemption Scheme. That consultation closed on the 16 September and the Government will respond in due course.

Energy: Billing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that people who fall behind on their energy payments are (a) not disconnected and (b) provided an assessment of their legal entitlement to (i) financial and (ii) other forms of support by their energy supplier.

Graham Stuart: Consumers who are struggling to pay their energy bills should contact their supplier.For indebted consumers, suppliers must set repayment plans that are based on the consumer’s ability to pay, provide an option to pay via the Fuel Direct scheme or install a prepayment meter. The supplier must provide energy efficiency advice to reduce bills. Disconnection of supply for non-payment may only be an action of last resort if the consumer declines the facilities offered, and they are not of pensionable age, or living with persons under the age of 18 or someone who is disabled or chronically sick.

Solar power: Feed-in Tariffs

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the potential increase to the solar feed-in tariff rates in relation to the increased price of wholesale energy.

Graham Stuart: Feed-in tariff (FIT) rates are adjusted annually, in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI). Further information regarding the FIT rates for solar can be found on Ofgem’s website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/feed-tariffs-fit/tariffs-and-payments.

Cars: Sales

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the trends in new car sales over the last six months and the impact on the UK car manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The UK automotive market showed a positive start to 2022 with new car registrations in Jan-Feb 2022 above 2021 levels, when lockdown restrictions meant showrooms were shut. However, registrations are still below pre-pandemic levels with semiconductor chip shortages continuing to constrain supply globally. As part of the Government’s Net Zero Strategy, we are allocating a further £350 million for the Automotive Transformation Fund, as part of our £1 billion commitment to build an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain including gigafactories.

Renewable Energy

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to help mitigate the impact of new onshore renewable energy projects on local communities.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises that renewable energy projects can have local impacts. There are established routes in the planning system that require local impacts to be measured and controlled (such as through Environmental Impact Assessments), that enable communities to raise concerns about renewable energy developments in their area, and that ensure the adverse impacts of these developments are addressed satisfactorily prior to consent being granted.

Small Modular Reactors: Capital Investment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement on 9 November 2021 that the Government would invest £210 million to develop small modular reactors in the UK, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the likely overall impact of that investment and (b) the progress that has been made in achieving that end up to 5 September 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Advanced Nuclear Fund includes up to £210 million announced in November 2021 for Rolls-Royce SMR to develop the design for one of the world’s first Small Modular Reactors, potentially capable of deployment in the UK in the early 2030s. This has already leveraged £280m of private sector investment to support the project and wider activities. The project has completed significant engineering milestones, and the key objective of completing Step 2 of the Generic Design Assessment by Spring 2025 remains achievable – a view shared by the Infrastructure & Projects Authority in their July 2022 report.

Glass: Manufacturing Industries

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the impact of rising energy costs on the glass manufacturing sector.

Graham Stuart: The Government is determined to secure a competitive future for energy intensive industries (EIIs) including the glass industry. In recent years, the Government has provided EIIs with extensive support, including more than £2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs. The British Energy Security Strategy announced the three-year extension of the EII Compensation Scheme, doubling its budget. The Strategy also announced a consultation on plans to consider increasing support offered by the related EII Exemption Scheme. That consultation closed on the 16 September and the Government will respond in due course.

Heat Pumps

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an (a) estimate of the cost and (b) assessment of the feasibility of reinforcing the electricity network to achieve the Government's aim to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library of the House.

Graham Stuart: The Government and Ofgem jointly published an Electricity Networks Strategic Framework on 4 August 2022, which sets out a vision for the transformation of the electricity network needed to maintain our energy security while reducing emissions and our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Network regulation, including ensuring sufficient investment to deliver the capacity needed to meet demand, is a matter for Ofgem. The Government engages regularly with Ofgem and electricity network operators to discuss their plans to support connections of low carbon technologies, including heat pumps.

Electricity: Imports

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a reduction in hydro-based electricity exports from Norway on the availability and price of electricity imported via interconnectors.

Graham Stuart: The Government works closely with Ofgem, National Grid Electricity System Operator and other key industry organisations to monitor gas and electricity supply and prepare for winter. Interconnectors are one source of a diverse range of energy supplies. The Government is monitoring the situation with Norwegian reservoirs and understands Norway is securing strategic reserves of water in its reservoirs to guarantee long-term security of energy supply. The UK and Norway have a bilateral treaty on electricity interconnection and this puts obligations on both nations to ensure the North Sea Link interconnector is operated in a market-based, transparent and non-discriminatory manner.

Shops: Energy

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to require shops selling cold food to have doors on their chillers.

Graham Stuart: The Government set out in the Energy related Products Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-related-products-policy-framework) that research has identified commercial refrigeration as a potential area for energy efficiency improvement. The Government will continue to develop its understanding of the barriers preventing the uptake of the most energy efficient technology, and of the enablers which could help to lessen these barriers.

Biofuels

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's timescale is for the publication of the Government's biomass strategy.

Graham Stuart: The Government is actively progressing work on the biomass strategy, including work on the assessment of the priority use of biomass across the economy, which will be explained in the forthcoming strategy. The Government plans to publish the Biomass Strategy in due course.

Boilers: Production

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with boiler manufacturing companies about (a) the availability of fans for boilers and length of time of supply and (b) any suspension of new boiler production in the last 24 months as a result of fan availability.

Graham Stuart: Officials from the Department have regular discussions with boiler manufacturers, either directly or through trade bodies. These cover a range of issues, including supply chains.

Smart Export Guarantee

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the Smart Export Guarantee Scheme to help ensure that microgenerators receive a price that reflects the market value of the electricity they sell.

Graham Stuart: The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a cost-reflective and market led mechanism and it is for suppliers to determine the value of the exported electricity and to take account of the administrative costs associated when setting their tariffs.

Microgeneration

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of Ofgem on microgeneration feed-in tariff rates for domestic home producers.

Graham Stuart: The Department works closely with Ofgem to discuss a range of topics, including microgeneration feed-in tariff, and matters discussed include areas of operations and policy. Further information regarding feed-in tariff rates can be found on Ofgem’s website:https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/feed-tariffs-fit/tariffs-and-payments.

Energy: Consumers

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to ensure that people are able to add funds to their energy top up cards without being required to purchase additional items at top up points.

Graham Stuart: There is no requirement for shopkeepers to ask customers to purchase additional items when adding credit to their energy top up cards. If this were to happen, then customers are entitled to raise a complaint with their supplier.

Solar Power: Prices

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to introduce a regulated market for solar microgenerators.

Graham Stuart: The Government’s approach to supporting microgeneration including solar is through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The SEG is a cost-reflective and market led mechanism whereby it is for suppliers to determine the value of the exported electricity.

Solar Power: Prices

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that energy suppliers pay a price that reflects the market value of energy produced by solar microgenerators.

Graham Stuart: The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) ensures small-scale generators are paid for the renewable electricity they export to the grid. It is a cost-reflective and market led mechanism. Suppliers determine the value of the exported electricity and take account of the associated administrative costs when setting their tariffs.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2019–21, Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, published on 29 April 2021, HC 1346, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the size of the mineworkers' pension scheme.

Graham Stuart: The Mineworkers' Pension scheme is funded through investments. The Government guarantees that pensions will be paid in the event that returns on those investments are insufficient to meet members’ benefit entitlements.

Wind Power: Electricity Generation

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many gigawatts of energy the Electricity System Operator plans to allow from future connections from offshore wind projects in (a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales in the context of the Government's increased target of up to 50 GW of operating offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Graham Stuart: For projects expected to connect by 2030 that are not already operational, 26GW of capacity will connect in England and Wales, and 18GW of capacity will connect in Scotland. Projects that are expected to connect before 2030 but do not yet have an indicative landing point have been excluded from the figures above.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to finalise and the eligibility statement for the 2022-2023 Warm Home Discount.

Graham Stuart: The Government consulted on a draft Eligibility Statement for the Warm Home Discount scheme for England and Wales over the summer. The Government is reviewing responses and will publish the final Eligibility Statement in due course.

Natural Gas: Safety

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his officials have had with representatives of Ofgem on ensuring adequate support for customers capping gas mains to install carbon free energy solutions.

Graham Stuart: BEIS Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem representatives to discuss a range of topics related to energy markets. Gas meters are owned by Meter Asset Providers (MAPs). Energy suppliers pay a monthly fee to MAPs to rent each meter and the cost is passed onto consumers through the standing charge. If a consumer no longer wants to use gas the supplier can remove the meter and cap the supply. The cost for this service is a commercial matter because the supplier will incur costs from the MAP for removing the meter and supplying an engineer to undertake the work.

Coal Authority: Climate Change

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2022 to Question 39801 on Coal Authority, and with reference to Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget, published in December 2020, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of revising the duties of the Coal Authority in respect of licensing metallurgical coal developments to (a) support the transition green steel and (b) deliver on commitments in the Climate Change Act 2008.

Graham Stuart: The Government has published an Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy setting out a technology-neutral approach that does not rule out the use of coking coal in an integrated steel making process together with carbon capture as a net zero compliant option going forward, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-decarbonisation-strategy The strategy notes that coking coal is currently essential for primary steel manufacturing using the basic oxygen furnace route. The Government keeps the Coal Authority’s duties under review. There are currently no plans to revise its duties with respect to licensing coal extraction.

Nitrogen Trifluoride

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 18 June 2021 to Question 13025 on Nitrogen Trifluoride, for what reason his Department has not brought forward legislation to amend the definition of greenhouse gases in the Climate Change Act 2008 to include nitrogen trifluoride; and what the revised timetable is for doing so.

Graham Stuart: Legislation will be introduced to Parliament as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Government has completed its statutory requirements under sections 24 and 25 of the Climate Change Act 2008 to consult national authorities and obtain the advice of the Climate Change Committee. The Climate Change Committee has published its advice online at https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/letter-inclusion-of-nitrogen-trifluoride-nf3-as-a-targeted-greenhouse-gas/.

Natural Gas: Energy Supply

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism and (b) potential merits of introducing such a mechanism in the UK.

Graham Stuart: The Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism contains measures for a potential gas supply shortfall that are specific to Australia’s position as a Liquified Natural Gas exporter. The United Kingdom does not produce Liquified Natural Gas, therefore such measures would not be appropriate here.

Commodity Markets: Fossil Fuels

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of financial speculation on the volatility of the gas and oil commodity markets.

Graham Stuart: As internationally traded commodities, oil and gas prices are primarily driven by the underlying price in the global market of crude oil and natural gas. These are also influenced by exchange rates and a range of other supply and demand factors, including stock levels, logistics and distribution costs and seasonal demand variations. The reopening of the global economy following the pandemic and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine have also contributed to increased pressure on oil and gas markets.

Solar Power: Greater London

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he last held discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the Mayor of London's Solar Action Plan.

Graham Stuart: Ministers are in regular contact with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, including options for facilitating deployment of low-cost renewable technologies such as solar PV.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Energy

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department spent on energy in each of the last three years.

Graham Stuart: At the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London, the net spend on gas and electricity for the last three financial years was as follows: 2019/202020/212021/22Gas£76,668£100,439£136,274Electricity£641,927£455,386£563,925Total£718,595£555,825£700,199

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Aramco

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will the publish the (a) attendees and (b) minutes of his lunch with Saudi Aramco on 31st January 2022.

Graham Stuart: On 31st January 2022, my rt. hon. Friend the then Secretary of State undertook site visits to energy facilities in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. He had discussions over the course of the day with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and the Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, as well as other Saudi Energy Ministry and Saudi Aramco officials. The then Secretary of State was accompanied by Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a special adviser, and officials from BEIS and the British Embassy Riyadh. Discussions covered clean energy innovation and Aramco’s sustainability initiatives, including hydrogen technology, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, and the reduction of fugitive emissions associated with oil and gas production. All meetings have been declared as required, through transparency data released on 14 July 2022.

Energy: Nationalisation

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact of bringing energy companies into public ownership on energy bills.

Graham Stuart: The Government does not intend to make such an assessment. Nationalisation will not solve the current challenge of high global fossil fuel prices and the impact this is having on the cost of energy. Properly regulated markets, which incentivise private capital to invest in the energy system, provide the best outcome for consumers and promote market competition as the best driver of efficiency, innovation and value.

Solar Power: Housing

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing grants or interest-free loans to fund the installation of domestic solar panels.

Graham Stuart: In the British Energy Security Strategy, the Government committed to look into facilitating low-cost finance from retail lenders to drive rooftop solar deployment. Rooftop solar is supported in a range of schemes such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the Energy Company Obligation, and the Home Upgrade Grant, subject to certain requirements. The Smart Export Guarantee introduced in January 2020, allows households with rooftop solar to receive payment for electricity they export to the grid.

Private Rented Housing: Energy Bills Rebate

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that private renters whose energy bills are included in their rent benefit from the £400 energy rebate payment paid directly to their landlords.

Graham Stuart: Where there is a domestic electricity connection and an inclusive charge is made for accommodation with no specified charge for gas or electricity and no separate agreement for the resale of energy, parties are encouraged to come to an agreement on the EBSS discount, in line with the arrangements in their respective contracts or tenancy agreements.

Carbon Emissions

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, published in October 2022 and the High Court judgment on the strategy of 18 July 2022, for what reason the Government did not provide the level of analysis required in that strategy on its plans for reaching net zero.

Graham Stuart: The Net Zero Strategy included a mix of quantified proposals and policies, as well as some additional emerging proposals and policies at earlier stages of development which we were unable to quantify. It is inherently difficult to quantify the emission reductions that a particular proposal or policy will generate over time with certainty. This was especially the case for meeting the sixth carbon budget, given that it was 12-16 years ahead. The Government is seeking permission from the Court of Appeal to appeal the judgment.

Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will increase support for (a) the ventilation and insulation of buildings and (b) other climate change mitigation measures following the summer 2022 heatwave.

Graham Stuart: In the Heat and Buildings Strategy the Government set out plans to decarbonise the UK’s 30 million homes and workplaces and committed to considering current and possible future scenarios including overheating risks and indoor air quality risks when developing future policies. BEIS plans to undertake further research in this area. The Government has committed £6.6 billion across this Parliament to decarbonise heat and buildings. All measures installed under Government schemes must meet the latest Publicly Available Specification PAS2035/2030:2019 standards. These standards adopt a whole-house approach to home retrofit, requiring adequate ventilation throughout the dwelling and steps to mitigate against overheating risks.

Fuel Oil: Price Caps

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2022 to Question 23820 on Fuel Oil: Price Caps, if he will publish his Department's assessment of the potential merits of introducing an energy price cap on heating oil.

Graham Stuart: The Government has carefully considered the introduction of a price cap to help domestic fuel customers with high fuel prices, however analysis indicates that a cap would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Visits Abroad

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (a) what was the total cost of his visit to the Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia and (b) who bore the costs of this visit.

Graham Stuart: The costs of the then Secretary of State's travel to and from Saudi Arabia, as well as those of his delegation, were met by the UK Government. Internal flights to the Shaybah oil field were arranged by the Saudi Energy Ministry and also provided by Aramco. Flights have been properly and publicly declared, as is required, through transparency data released on 14 July 2022 and can be found on the gov.uk website.

Energy: Conservation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that homeowners make informed choices on the energy efficiency of their homes.

Graham Stuart: In July the Government launched the online service 'Find ways to save energy in your home'. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency.

Energy

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the roll out of (a) nuclear energy, (b) onshore renewable energy and (c) offshore renewable energy schemes.

Graham Stuart: The Government published the British Energy Security Strategy in April, which sets out the UK’s ambitions for deployment of low-carbon energy, including nuclear and renewables.

National Grid: East of England

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether National Grid has plans to consult the Ministry of Defence on the potential impact of the East Anglia GREEN proposals on operations at Wattisham Air Base.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether National Grid has plans to consult Wattisham Air Base on the potential operational implications for the air base as a result of the East Anglia GREEN proposals.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether National Grid has plans to consult Wattisham Air Base on the East Anglia GREEN project.

Graham Stuart: Consulting on East Anglia Green is a matter for National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). The Ministry of Defence is a Statutory Consultee under the Planning Act, and the Government understands that NGET are engaging with RAF Wattisham on any potential impacts of the project on Wattisham Air Base.

Solar Power: Exports

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding the Smart Export Guarantee scheme to enhance the facilitation of owners of small numbers of solar panels to sell their energy into the marketplace.

Graham Stuart: The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a cost-reflective and market led mechanism and it is for suppliers to determine the value of the exported electricity and to take account of the administrative costs associated when setting their tariffs.

Civil Society: Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps is he taking to help support (a) charities and (b) faith-based organisations with rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The Government has announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.

Energy Bills Rebate

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on providing support to households that will not be reached through the £400 energy bills discount.

Graham Stuart: On 29th July, the Government set out further details of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) following the technical consultation which ran from April to May. As part of this package, the Government confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the households which will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier. The Government will be announcing details in the autumn on eligibility and how additional households will receive the £400 of support.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his most recent estimate is of the cost of decommissioning the existing nuclear sites within the remit of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; when that estimate was made; and when he next plans to review that estimate.

Graham Stuart: The Nuclear Provision is updated by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as part of its Annual Report. The Nuclear Provision represents the best estimate of the NDA’s long-term mission to decommission its nuclear sites. The latest estimate is £149bn undiscounted (£237bn in present value terms).

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that energy companies are not sending consumers false information in relation to smart meters.

Graham Stuart: Energy suppliers are required to abide by the Standards of Conduct outlined in their licence conditions, which set expectations regarding their behaviour, information provision and customer service processes. As part of this, when communicating with their customers, energy suppliers must provide information that is complete, accurate and not misleading. Energy suppliers are regulated against their licence obligations by Ofgem, which has a range of enforcement tools at its disposal.

Energy: Charities

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to include (a) charities that provide housing and (b) community groups, including village halls, in future Government energy efficiency schemes.

Graham Stuart: Charities that provide housing could be eligible under the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, provided they meet certain criteria. Moreover, further funding via the Energy Bills Support Scheme will be available to support households not currently in scope. Details will be announced this Autumn. Charities and non-profit organisations may be also entitled to a reduction in VAT, and exclusion from the main rates of the Climate Change Levy on the energy they use for non-business purposes. Officials remain in close contact with representatives from the charity sector to monitor the situation and assess how and where additional support can be provided.

Iron and Steel: Carbon Emissions

Jane Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government is taking steps to help support the UK steel industry to decarbonise; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The Net Zero Strategy, published on 19 October 2021, reaffirms the Government’s commitment to work with the steel industry on decarbonisation and to consider the implications of the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee: to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’. BEIS continues to work with companies, who are developing their own decarbonisation strategies, to understand the trajectories of their plans and to support them as they make commercial decisions on the optimum route for their sites.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with (a) EDF and (b) the Low Carbon Contracts Company about an extension of EDF's deadline for generating electricity from reactor one at Hinkley Point C nuclear plant while continuing to access the full 35 year contractual period of the Contract for Difference.

Graham Stuart: The Government, the Low Carbon Contract Company (LCCC) and EDF maintain regular contact on the Hinkley Point C Contract for Difference (CfD).In their role as counterparty to the CfD, the LCCC have recognised that COVID-19 is capable of being a Force Majeure event and discussions on this are ongoing.HPC is a private, developer-led project and any cost overruns during construction are borne by the developer.

Electricity: Price Caps

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a national pricing structure for the supply of electricity.

Graham Stuart: The British wholesale electricity market currently has a national pricing structure. The Government is considering reforms to wholesale electricity pricing under the Review of Electricity Markets Arrangement (REMA). The recently published REMA consultation sets out the Government’s initial considerations on zonal and nodal pricing, which are two potential alternatives to national pricing under consideration.

Housing: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of capacity issues at the national grid on housebuilding in Stockport.

Graham Stuart: The Government is aware of lengthy connection timelines currently being offered in parts of the country, particularly where transmission network upgrades are required to accommodate distribution network connections, such as housing developments. Network companies are working with Ofgem to release capacity including through improved modelling of network impacts of new connections and streamlining of connection procedures.

Attorney General

Fraud: Prosecutions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions were brought forward by the Serious Fraud Office against (a) corporates and (b) individuals in each year between 2013 and 2021 inclusive.

Michael Tomlinson: The table below sets out how many prosecutions the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) brought forward in each year and whether they relate to a corporate or an individual. The term “brought forward” has been taken to mean the instigation of a charge against an individual or corporate. This includes cases where charges were brought but the case did not progress to conviction, including cases resolved through Deferred Prosecution Agreements. YearProsecutions brought against individualsProsecutions brought against corporates201327320141822015103201625220172752018712019722020144202174Detailed information regarding SFO cases be found on their website: https://www.sfo.gov.uk.

Fraud: Convictions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney General, how many convictions were secured by the Serious Fraud Office against (a) corporates and (b) individuals in each year between 2013 and 2021 inclusive.

Michael Tomlinson: The table below sets out how many convictions were secured in Serious Fraud Office (SFO) cases in each year and whether they relate to a corporate or an individual. This does not include cases that were resolved through Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), where the SFO have entered into 12 DPAs since their introduction in 2014. YearConvictions secured against individualsConvictions secured against corporates2013140201417120155120169120171212018191201950202010202112In 2022 to date, the SFO have secured convictions of four individuals as well the conviction of one corporate. An additional 12 individuals will be standing trial in cases this year that are yet to conclude. Detailed information regarding SFO cases be found on their website: https://www.sfo.gov.uk/.

Department of Health and Social Care

Nurses: Recruitment

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects eligible post-graduate nurses to receive the £10,000 golden hello payment announced in May 2018.

Robert Jenrick: In May 2018, we announced the intention to pay a ‘golden hello’ to nurses who started a postgraduate course in learning disability nursing, mental health nursing or district nursing in the 2018/19 academic year who subsequently qualified and were employed in these roles in the health and care sector.The Government is considering the most effective way to administer and introduce any scheme to ensure it delivers on the original intent.

Incontinence

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the provision of free incontinence products across Integrated Care Boards; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the availability of those products on disabled people’s mobility and quality of life.

Dr Caroline Johnson: No specific assessment has been made. However, general practitioners and incontinence clinics are expected to offer free incontinence products to all eligible patients following an assessment and diagnosis of incontinence issues. While there is no statutory requirement for the provision of pads for incontinence, all clinicians and integrated care boards are expected to follow the best practice in provision of incontinence products.

Care Workers: Allowances

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will offer support to local authorities to help social care providers to increase the mileage allowance paid to care workers.

Neil O'Brien: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to manage local care markets. The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers which set their terms and conditions, including renumeration for travel costs, independently of Government. Local authorities work with care providers to determine fee rates, which should take account of employment costs, based on local market conditions.We are committing £1.36 billion to the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund. The Fund will support local authorities to prepare markets for reform and move towards paying providers a fair cost of care. The Government continues to work with local government and care providers to understand the impact from challenges such as energy price rises and inflationary pressures.

NHS: Temporary Employment

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost to NHS hospitals was of using (a) agency and (b) bank staff in each region in England in the 2021-22 financial year.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is not yet held in the format requested as the accounts for 2021/22 are currently being audited.

Evusheld

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects NICE's review of Evusheld to be concluded.

Robert Jenrick: On 10 August 2022, the Department referred tixagevimab and cilgavimab (Evusheld) to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to evaluate its clinical and cost effectiveness for preventing COVID-19. Between 29 July and 12 August, NICE consulted with stakeholders on the suggested remit, draft scope and list of consultees and commentators.NICE has commenced this evaluation and currently expects to publish draft guidance in April 2023, with final guidance to follow in May 2023. In discussion with AstraZeneca, NICE is expediting the appraisal process by bringing forward the deadline for the manufacturer’s evidence submission.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doses of monkeypox vaccine have been delivered to NHS patients (a) in the last 12 months and (b) since May 2022.

Dr Caroline Johnson: As of 30 August 2022, a total of 38,079 administered doses of vaccine have been recorded in England, of which 33,918 doses have been administered as pre-exposure vaccination, primarily to gay and bisexual people and other men who have sex with men. A further 1,992 doses have been provided to healthcare workers managing monkeypox cases and 2,169 doses have been given to close contacts of cases.No smallpox vaccines were issued for the purposes of monkeypox response between September 2021 and May 2022.

Health Services and Social Services: Databases

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the staffing hours required by health and social care providers to submit data to his Department under new requirements arising from the Health and Care Act 2022.

Neil O'Brien: It is estimated that the staffing hours required would be less than one hour per month per provider.

Health Professions: Radiology

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent radiologists were employed by the NHS in (a) 2022, (b) 2021 and (c) 2020.

Robert Jenrick: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in National Health Service hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but excludes staff working in primary care, general practitioner surgeries, local authorities and other providers. The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent doctors working in the specialty of clinical radiology in NHS trusts and CCGs in England in March 2020, 2021 and 2022. March 20204,615March 20214,817March 20225,081

Health Professions: Radiology

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent radiographers were employed by the NHS in (a) 2022, (b) 2021 and (c) 2020.

Robert Jenrick: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in National Health Service hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but excludes staff working in primary care, general practitioner surgeries, local authorities and other providers. The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) digital and therapeutic radiographers working in NHS trusts and CCGs in England in March 2020, 2021 and 2022. FTE diagnostic radiographersFTE therapeutic radiographersMarch 202015,0572,952March 202115,6683,017March 202216,1232,957

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date he expects NHS England’s Palivizumab Expert Group to respond to the request from the JCVI to consider the eligibility of children with spinal muscular atrophy to receive the Palivizumab vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to recommendations in the consensus statement of the 2017 International Conference on the Standards of Care on the use of Palivizumab for some categories of children with spinal muscular atrophy to protect from respiratory syncytial virus, if he will take steps to urgently review the eligibility criteria for the Palivizumab vaccine.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection poses a serious risk for children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with weakened respiratory muscles due to their condition. Following a letter from clinicians, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has requested that NHS England’s Palivizumab National Expert Group consider the eligibility of a sub-group of children with SMA to receive palivizumab vaccination this winter. This Group is preparing a briefing and on completion, it will meet and report the outcome of its discussion and recommendations to the JCVI. A specific date has yet to be confirmed.

Sickle Cell Diseases

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to (a) increase awareness of Sickle Cell disease and (b) improve the training for dealing with that disease among (i) nurses and doctors in training and (ii) practising NHS nurses and doctors.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of awareness among NHS ambulance and A and E staff of the need for urgency in dealing with a Sickle Cell crisis.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the extent of compliance in the NHS with NICE guidance that Sickle Cell patients should receive pain relief within 30 minutes of admittance to Accident and Emergency care; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: As part of this years’ World Sickle Cell Day, NHS England launched a new sickle cell disease awareness campaign on the signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease, aimed at urgent and emergency care staff and those living with the condition and their carers.There have been recent improvements to the haematology medical curriculum, with understanding sickle cell disease and thalassemia now described in the curriculum as core competencies. Health Education England (HEE) provides e-learning which includes content on sickle cell disease. HEE has held discussions with the Royal Colleges of Pathology and Physicians to ensure this curriculum is deliverable to all four nations, in line with General Medical Council’s (GMC) standards. The Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centres also provide network development, leadership, learning and education.The Sickle Cell Society and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia report ‘No One’s Listening’ highlighted the lack of awareness of sickle cell disease among healthcare professionals. Officials are considering the report’s recommendations. NHS England estimates that awareness amongst accident and emergency medical and nursing staff, specifically of conditions such as sickle cell disease, is high across England and in areas where there is a higher prevalence of the condition. However, NHS England and other bodies continue with further awareness raising.No specific assessment has been made regarding the extent of compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on pain relief for sickle cell patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) considers evidence of how registered persons have met fundamental standards through its regulatory approach. The CQC will consider the processes providers have to ensure that best practice is implemented for quality standards, including NICE’s guidelines.

World Health Organization

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will be represented at the World Health Organisation Regional Committee Meeting for Europe between 12-14 September 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The United Kingdom’s delegation will be led by the Department of Health and Social Care, with officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the UK Health Security Agency, NHS England and the Welsh Government.

Department for Education

Schools: Air Pollution

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to fund a) air pollution monitors and b) air purification systems for schools in areas where air pollution levels exceed WHO guideline limits.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is not currently planning to fund air quality monitors or fund additional air cleaning units for schools in areas where air pollution levels exceed World Health Organisation guideline limits. More information on the number of air cleaning units delivered to schools with poor ventilation can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/delivery-of-air-cleaning-unitsThe Department has published guidance in the Building Bulletin 101 (BB101), which provides guidelines on indoor and outdoor air quality in new and refurbished schools: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings(opens in a new tab). BB101 guidance promotes best practice in controlling pollutants and setting maximum standards for levels of pollutants in indoors.Outdoor air quality is the responsibility of local authorities who should prepare air quality action plans to ensure the level of pollutants is reduced. In January 2019, the Government published the Clean Air Strategy setting out plans to deal with all sources of pollution.

Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre: Buildings

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2020 to Question 119161, what recent estimate he has made of when the former East Ham police station building will be back in use.

Jonathan Gullis: Newham Planning Committee has resolved to approve the planning application for the East Ham Police Station, subject to the finalisation of a Section 106 agreement for a cycle scheme, carbon offset, travel plan and monitoring of employment/skills.The department will enter into the building contract shortly. Once completed the building will be handed over to Newham Collegiate School. We anticipate this will allow the school to expand its places from September 2024.

Languages: Schools

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department spent on charitable and faith community-run weekend language schools in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department does not provide any funding for charitable or faith community-run weekend language schools and has not done so in any of the last five years.

Schools: Collective Worship

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to conduct a review of the statutory requirements for daily collective worship in schools.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department’s policies on (a) the teaching arrangements for religious education and (b) collective worship in primary schools of the judgment of Mr Justice Colton of the Northern Ireland High Court handed down on 5 July 2022 relating to Christian-focused education in primary schools in Northern Ireland.

Jonathan Gullis: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The Department has read and considered the legislative framework for teaching religious education in Northern Ireland and is of the view that it is not authoritative on the teaching of religious education or delivery of collective worship in England.The Department currently has no plans to amend or repeal the legal duty on schools to provide a daily act of collective worship. The Government believes that the law in England is both inclusive and flexible in allowing all schools to tailor their provision to suit their pupils’ needs and it provides a unique opportunity for schools to develop and celebrate their ethos and values. Collective worship also allows schools the opportunity to promote the moral and social development of their pupils in a way that best suits the needs of the community.

Schools: Discipline

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his timescale is for responding to his Department's consultation on Behaviour management strategies, in-school units and managed moves which closed on the 29 June 2021.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department used the responses from the call for evidence on behaviour management strategies, in-school units and managed moves, which was launched on 29 June 2021 and closed on 10 August 2021, to inform the updated Behaviour in Schools guidance and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance.A public consultation on the updated Behaviour in Schools guidance and the Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance was launched on 3 February 2022 and closed on 31 March 2022. The updated Behaviour in Schools guidance, updated Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance and government response to the consultation were published on 13 July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/revised-behaviour-in-schools-guidance-and-suspension-and-permanent-exclusions-guidance.

Employment and Further Education

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase collaboration between colleges and employers.

Andrea Jenkyns: Local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) will place employers at the heart of local skills systems and facilitate direct and more dynamic working arrangements between employers, colleges, and other skills providers. Building on the experience from last year’s trailblazers, the department is making good progress on rolling out LSIPs. On 1 September, we announced the designation of employer representative bodies to lead on the development of LSIPs in 37 of the 38 areas across the country. Once developed, LSIPs will set out the priorities for a local area to make technical education and skills training more responsive to employers’ needs, and to help people develop the skills they need to get good jobs. LSIPs will build on the excellent provider-employer collaboration that has already been developed through apprenticeships, T Levels, and our wider skills reforms.

BTEC Qualifications: Assessments

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what immediate steps his Department took when it first identified that BTEC examination results were missing in August 2022.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of communication with (a) students and (b) colleges on the missing BTEC results in August 2022.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's preparedness for possible problems with BTEC results during summer 2022.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department was first alerted about missing Level 2 BTEC exam results in summer 2022.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department was notified on 18 August that some students had not received their level 3 BTEC results as they had expected on A level results day due to issues with finalising grades.Officials from the department immediately contacted Ofqual as the regulator, who assured the department that they were meeting with the awarding organisation to resolve the issues. Daily updates were provided by Ofqual and relevant awarding organisations, and the department joined daily situation report calls with Ofqual and UCAS to ensure that we were aware of progress.The former Secretary of State for Education, alongside some of the relevant awarding organisations and Ofqual also met to discuss progress addressing the issues on 24 August. The department was made aware that some level 2 results were not ready for issue and the actions already being taken to address this.Problems with results and the actions awarding organisations take, including communications with students and colleges, are matters for Ofqual and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Jo Saxton, to write directly to the hon. Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Further Education: Energy

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much each further education college in England spent on (a) electricity and (b) gas in (i) 2020-21 and (ii) 2021-22; and how much those colleges have budgeted to spend on (A) electricity and (B) gas in 2022-23.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department does not hold this data at present, as this level of detail is not routinely collected. We have contacted further education colleges to request this information.

Health and Science: T-levels

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of first-year health and science T Level exams with the course content taught in schools and colleges in England; if he will make an assessment the adequacy of the amount of time between the availability of the textbook for that subject and the examination; and if he will make a statement.

Andrea Jenkyns: Department officials are working urgently with Ofqual and the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education to review the relationship between the content of Health and Science T Levels and the assessments. The department expects to conclude this shortly.There is no provision by the state for teaching materials. Textbook publishers decide whether they wish to provide them, and when to do so.The NCFE, the awarding organisation, will provide further support to teachers ahead of this autumn’s resits. This additional intervention will help to ensure students are supported to continue their T Levels and to reach their full potential.

Construction: Training

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is taking steps to support the (a) training of builders and insulators and (b) new recruits to that sector to support the insulation of homes.

Andrea Jenkyns: The government is investing £3.8 billion more in further education (FE) and skills over the Parliament to ensure people have access to skills to build a fulfilling career in jobs the economy needs. The department’s Skills for Jobs white paper sets out our plan to invest in opportunities for new entrants to the labour market, as well as upskilling opportunities for adults. These interventions are key to the country’s transition to a net zero economy and our ambition to build roads, homes, and broadband faster.Apprenticeships are at the forefront of this change. There are 97 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment occupational route, which have been developed by employer trailblazer groups to ensure apprentices gain skills key to the sector. These include a range of standards relevant to insulation and retrofit, such as Industrial Thermal Insulation Technician at level 3, Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) at level 4, and Low Carbon Heating Technician at level 3.In additional to apprenticeships, the department is taking steps to strengthen vocational options for young people with the introduction of T Levels. These are two-year, technical qualifications designed with businesses and employers, and are equivalent in size to 3 A levels. The first T Levels in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction were launched in 2020, with the first cohort having received their results this summer.As we are strengthening progression pathways for career starters, the department is also investing in re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities to make sure adults, at any age, can upskill to reach their potential, transforming lives and delivering on the National Skills Fund commitment. As part of this investment, we have introduced the Free Courses for Jobs scheme, which enables learners without a level 3 qualification, or learners with any qualification level but earning below the National Living Wage, to gain a qualification for free. 72 qualifications in building and construction are currently on offer under this scheme. In addition, learners who want to upskill in their role, are looking for work, or are changing career can take part in Skills Bootcamps in construction and green skills.The department is promoting and increasing awareness of our skills provision to learners and employers through the Skills for Life campaign, which targets employers, young people, and adults. Our campaign toolkits provide more information and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/skills-campaign-toolkits. Moreover, the department supports cross-government discussions on wider workforce challenges in the sector, for example through the Green Jobs Delivery Group. More information on this is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-jobs-delivery-steps-up-a-gear.

Agriculture: Apprentices

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department has made available to help support agricultural businesses offer apprenticeships in the most recent period for which data is available.

Andrea Jenkyns: In the current 2022/23 financial year funding available for apprenticeships in England is £2.6 billion. The government is increasing apprenticeships funding to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. Employers of all sizes and in all sectors can access the funding available for apprenticeships. The government continues to pay 95% of apprentice training costs for non-levy paying employers, often small and medium-sized enterprises, and meets 100% of training costs for the smallest employers (those with fewer than 50 staff) when they take on eligible young apprentices. Employers in the agricultural sector have developed 41 high-quality apprenticeship standards to allow them to develop their workforces, including crop technician, livestock unit technician, and land-based service engineering technician. So far for the 2021/22 academic year, between August 2021 and April 2022, there have been 6,000 apprenticeship starts in agriculture, horticulture and animal care subject areas, an increase of 31% compared to the same period the previous year.

Universities: Admissions

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students in (a) the North East and (b) total were accepted into UK universities using T Levels in 2022.

Andrea Jenkyns: The number of T Level students that were accepted into university on results day was 370, which was 71% of applicants. This number is likely to increase as students are placed into a university course through the clearing process, and UCAS plan to publish an updated statistic in due course.Information on university places is held by UCAS, and therefore we are unable to provide information on T Level students entering university at a regional level.

Pupils and Students: Suicide

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is planning to take in the proposed 10-year suicide prevention strategy that will help tackle suicides among school and university students.

Andrea Jenkyns: The government is committed to doing all we can to prevent suicides. We continue to work with experts and to review our plans to ensure they are fit for the future. The mental health and wellbeing of students in schools and universities, including suicide prevention, is a government priority. The department has been working closely with higher education (HE) providers, schools and health colleagues to ensure students are supported.As part of a coordinated, whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, the department is committed to ensuring schools provide safe, calm, and supportive environments, with access to early, targeted support. This is vital in preventing the onset, progression, and escalation of ill mental health. We are enabling schools to introduce effective, whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing by committing to offer all state schools and colleges a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025. This is backed by £10 million in 2022/23. Over 8,000 schools and colleges, including half of state-funded secondary schools in England, have signed up so far.The department is also expanding access to early, targeted mental health support by increasing the number of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in schools and colleges to 400 by 2023, covering around 35% of pupils in England, with over 500 planned to be up and running by 2024.Alongside these initiatives, we are promoting good mental health amongst children and young people through the school curriculum. Health education is compulsory in all schools and has a strong focus on mental wellbeing. Pupils are taught where and how to seek support for themselves as well as others. At secondary level, teachers may choose to discuss issues such as self-harm, addiction, and suicide when teaching these topics.In addition to this, the department is funding a large-scale randomised control trial of approaches to improve pupil mental health and wellbeing in schools. The ‘Aware’ arm of the trial is testing approaches to mental health awareness teaching, including Youth Aware of Mental Health, which has good international evidence of reducing suicidal ideation. Moreover, colleges funded through the £5.4 million college collaboration fund have developed new ways to support student and staff mental health and wellbeing, with resources available to all further education providers online.We also expect all universities to engage actively with suicide prevention, intervene to support students at risk, and act sensitively when a tragedy occurs.The department supports the Suicide-Safer Universities framework, led by Universities UK (UUK) and Papyrus. This framework supports university leaders to prevent student suicides, and support students and families after the death of a student. Its approach has been widely adopted and is a key component of the University Mental Health Charter, led by Student Minds, which aims to raise standards in mental health provision across the sector.

Students: Coronavirus

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to compensate students who attended university during the covid-19 pandemic for missed in-person teaching.

Andrea Jenkyns: The unprecedented and unique nature of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated changes to the way higher education (HE) providers delivered their teaching.The former Minister for Higher and Further Education wrote to all English HE providers to make clear that they are expected to offer a high-quality, face-to-face student experience. Online learning should only be offered to enhance the student experience, not to detract from it, and it should not be used as a cost-cutting measure. The former Secretary of State for Education wrote an open letter to students about face-to-face teaching, setting out what they can do if they feel they are not getting the teaching they signed up for.HE providers are independent and autonomous bodies who are responsible for the management of their own affairs. If current or former students have concerns about the delivery of their university courses, they should first raise them with their provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for HE to consider their complaint. OIA recommendations can include practical remedies as well as financial compensation, where that is deemed appropriate.

Overseas Students

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many international students were accepted by British Universities in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

Andrea Jenkyns: UCAS publish data on the number of international students accepted to UK higher education providers.Data on acceptances at the end of the admission cycle is available here: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2021.The 2022 admissions cycle is still in progress and latest available data is here: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/statistical-releases-daily-clearing-analysis-2022.Note that not all international students are accepted through UCAS. The Higher Education Statistics Agency publishes data on the total number of international student enrolments, with the latest data covering the 2020/21 academic year. This data is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/whos-in-he#numbers.

Students: Homelessness

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the recent report published by Higher Education Policy Institute on hidden homelessness among university students.

Andrea Jenkyns: No student should ever have to worry about their residential accommodation whilst balancing their studies. Although the department plays no role in the provision of student accommodation, we are investing £2 billion over the next three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.Universities and private accommodation providers are ultimately autonomous and responsible for setting their own rent agreements but we have always encouraged them to review their policies to make sure that their accommodation policies are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.For any student with concerns, we recommend them reaching out to their university, many of whom have hardship funds that students can apply to for financial assistance.The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year and that have impacted students. Therefore, in order to support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help, we have confirmed in our guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2022-23 financial year that in addition to their existing hardship funds, universities can continue to be able to support students in hardship by drawing on the student premium, for which up to £261 million is available for academic year 2022/23.

Students: Energy

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of rising energy prices on students in higher education.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support will be made available to students to assist them with rising energy and food costs.

Andrea Jenkyns: To support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help, the department has confirmed in guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2022/23 financial year that universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through their own hardship funds and the student premium, for which up to £261 million is available for academic year 2022/23.We have also worked closely with the OfS to clarify that English providers can draw upon this funding now, to provide hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by cost-of-living pressures.Maximum grants and loans for living costs have also been increased by 2.3% this academic year. Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the 2022/23 financial year has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.In addition, maximum tuition fees, and the subsidised loans available from Government to pay them, remain at £9,250 for the 2022/23 academic year in respect of standard full-time courses. We are also freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years. As well as reducing debt levels for students, the continued fee freeze will help to ensure that the HE system remains sustainable while also promoting greater efficiency at providers.As part of a package of support for rising energy bills, the government is giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a House in Multiple Occupation for council tax purposes. Alongside this, the government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to support vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes, including students, to support those ineligible for council tax.The government has also announced that households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are also eligible for this support. Furthermore, The Energy Price Guarantee, announced on 8 September, will save the average household at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount.

Health and Science: T-levels

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has had discussions with a) NCFE, b) Ofqual and c) the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education on the results for T-Levels in (a) health, (b) healthcare science and (c) science in 2022.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department has worked with Ofqual, the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE), and NCFE to determine the factors which contributed to students receiving grades for their first-year assessments which were lower than expected for T Levels in Health, Healthcare Science and Science.Ofqual have now concluded, through an independent expert review, that the examination papers set by NCFE were flawed. New grades will be issued on the basis of other evidence, with an assurance that students’ grades will not be any lower than those originally issued. Students will also be able to retake assessments twice before the end of their course, should they choose to do so, and only the highest grade will count.Training providers were briefed by the Chief Regulator at Ofqual and senior officials from the department and IfATE on 7th September, in order to provide clarity for students as rapidly as possible.

Apprentices: Hertfordshire

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) apprenticeships placements and (b) apprenticeship vacancies are available in Hertfordshire.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department is committed to supporting employers and individuals across the country to benefit from the high-quality training that apprenticeships offer.The latest published statistics show that in the first three quarters of the 2021/2022 academic year, or August 2021 to April 2022, there were 4,960 apprenticeship starts in Hertfordshire.As of 6 September 2022, there are currently 311 adverts comprising 407 vacancies within Hertfordshire posted on our Find An Apprenticeship service. Individuals can also find and apply for apprenticeship vacancies through an employer’s website, recruitment agencies, or local job centres, meaning that the actual number of apprenticeship vacancies in Hertfordshire will likely be higher than the stated figure.

Students: Loans

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department will recommend increasing the size of student loans to help cover increased living costs for students.

Andrea Jenkyns: Maximum grants and loans for living costs have been increased by 2.3% for the 2022/23 academic year. The government is reviewing options for uprating maximum grants and loans for the 2023/24 academic year and an announcement will follow in the autumn.Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the tax year 2022/23 has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed. In addition, maximum tuition fees, and the subsidised loans available from the government to pay them, remain at £9,250 for the 2022/23 academic year, in respect of standard full-time courses.We are also freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years. As well as reducing debt levels for students, the continued fee freeze will help to ensure that the higher education (HE) system remains sustainable while also promoting greater efficiency at providers.The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year and that have impacted students. Many HE providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.To support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help, we have confirmed in our guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2022/23 financial year that universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through their own hardship funds and the student premium, for which up to £261 million is available for the academic year 2022/23.The government has also worked closely with the OfS to clarify that English providers can draw upon this funding now, to provide hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by cost-of-living pressures.As part of a package of support for rising energy bills, the government is giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a house in multiple occupation for council tax purposes. Alongside this, the government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to support vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes, including students, to support those who are ineligible for council tax.The government has also announced that households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are also eligible for this support.

T-Levels: Assessments

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will have discussions with a) NCFE, b) Ofqual and c) the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education on the process for appealing T-level results.

Andrea Jenkyns: If students or training providers consider that a T Level result is erroneous, or they consider the assessment criteria was not fairly, reliably, and consistently applied, they can submit an appeal to the relevant awarding organisations. T Level awarding organisations, such as NCFE, offer a comprehensive post-results service, that allows students and training providers to challenge any results which are outside of their reasonable expectation.Providers can request a review of marking or moderation, as well as a copy of the marked student paper. Administrative guidance on NCFE’s post-result service and appeals process can be found at: https://www.ncfe.org.uk/approach-to-awarding/results/.Students who are partway through their course also have two opportunities to retake their core assessments, should they wish to improve their grade.Additionally, should a student wish to dispute their industry placement completion status, they should appeal directly to their training provider. As with other 16-19 education and training programmes, providers must have an existing internal student appeals process to deal with student appeals about the industry placement completion decision. Providers have a responsibility to treat all student appeals seriously, and they must be followed-up promptly.In relation to this summer’s Health, Science, and Healthcare Science T Level results, Ofqual have now concluded through an independent expert review that the examination papers set by NCFE were flawed. New grades will be issued on the basis of other evidence, with an assurance that students’ grades will not be any lower than those originally issued.

T-levels

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to (a) review and (b) improve T Level quality following the first cohort of students’ and teachers' feedback.

Andrea Jenkyns: The first cohort of students completed their T Levels in summer 2022 and achieved an overall pass rate of 92.2%. As further T Levels are made available, the department is monitoring their performance to ensure that they are meeting their intended purpose. This includes working closely with Ofqual, the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education and with awarding organisations to ensure that the qualifications are functioning as intended and to develop mitigations where they are not. We also engage regularly with the schools and colleges delivering T Levels, and with Association of Colleges, to gather their feedback and concerns. Our regular survey of T Level students is designed to build a picture of their experiences that we can factor these into the ongoing roll-out of T Levels. We will update our survey report as new findings are gathered.

Students: Loans

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the geographical eligibility of the student loan repayment scheme for teachers.

Andrea Jenkyns: The ‘Teachers: claim back your student loan repayments’ scheme was announced in 2017 and is targeted at 26 local authorities in England we have identified as having a high need for teachers, as determined by our published data at this time.We have commissioned an external evaluation of the scheme and expect to publish the final evaluation report this year. Once we receive the final evaluation report, we will consider if eligibility for the scheme should be extended.

Apprentices

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to promote the apprenticeship route to young people in secondary education.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department’s new ‘Career Starter Apprenticeships’ campaign showcases apprenticeship standards which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education.The first featured apprenticeships, all at level 2 and 3, launched in August. More information on the campaign can be found here: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/career-starter-apprenticeships, and more featured apprenticeships will be published over the coming months.The department also continues to promote apprenticeships in schools and colleges through our Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge programme. This free service provides resources and interventions to help better educate young people about apprenticeships. Since September 2021 it has reached over 685,000 students and over 2,500 schools.Alongside this, our ‘Get the Jump’ campaign is raising awareness and understanding of the full range of education and training choices available to young people. More information is available at: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-your-education-and-training-choices.

Apprentices

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help encourage employers to provide high quality apprenticeships.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department wants more employers to offer high-quality apprenticeships. We are increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. Employers who pay the apprenticeship levy can make use of their levy funds, topped up by 10% by the government, to fund apprenticeship training and assessment in their businesses, and smaller employers can reserve funding for up to 10 new apprenticeships.We are encouraging the use of more flexible training models, such as accelerated and flexi-job apprenticeships, so that employers in all sectors can benefit from apprenticeships and apprentices can attain occupational competence as quickly as possible. We also continue to make improvements to the apprenticeship levy transfer system to make it easier for large employers to make full use of their levy funds and support starts in their supply chain, sector, or local area, and to support more employers, including SMEs, to meet local or sectorial skills needsWe want to make sure that every apprentice has a high-quality experience. To achieve this, we are further improving quality by investing in a comprehensive package of professional development for apprenticeship training providers and their workforces, and by giving employers the tools, advice, and direction they need to provide high-quality experiences for their apprentices.

BTEC Qualifications

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that future BTec results are not delayed.

Andrea Jenkyns: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Dr Jo Saxton, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Students: Mental Health Services

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to support students' mental health following the outbreak of covid-19.

Andrea Jenkyns: In the longer term, the department is offering all state schools and colleges a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025, enabling them to introduce effective, whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. Over 8,000 schools and colleges are already receiving grants and this year, we are providing an additional £10 million, so two thirds of state schools and colleges will have access to a grant by March 2023.In further education, we are investing over £800 million across the next 3 academic years to fund an average of 40 additional learning hours for band 5 and T Level students in 16 to 19 education. The additional hours can be used to support areas, including mental health and wellbeing, where these are a barrier for students effectively accessing teaching and learning.Whilst it is for higher education (HE) providers to determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer that support, the government and the Office for Students (OfS) are proactive in funding and promoting effective practice in this area, ensuring that providers can access evidence to inform their approaches.We have worked with the OfS and Student Minds to provide Student Space, which is designed to work alongside existing services, to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from the pandemic. Funded with up to £3.6 million by the OfS and the HE Funding Council Wales, Student Space has now received a funding commitment of £262,500 annually, for three years, to extend this provision of online mental health support to all students in England and Wales to 2026.We have also asked the OfS to distribute £15 million of funding in the 2022/23 financial year to give additional support for transitions from school or college to university, and through targeting funding to support partnership working with NHS services to provide pathways of care for students.In the Budget and Spending Review for 2021, the government announced £82 million to create a network of family hubs in 75 areas. This is part of a wider £302 million package to transform services for parents, carers, babies and children in half of council areas across England. The 75 local authorities eligible to receive the funding were announced on 2 April 2022. Information on support for vulnerable families can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/infants-children-and-families-to-benefit-from-boost-in-support.

Ministry of Justice

Social Security and Child Support Tribunal: Costs

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total cost to (a) his Department and (b) HM Courts & Tribunal Service was of administering appeals in the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal in each year since 2012-13 for (i) all cases, (ii) Work Capability Assessment cases and (iii) Personal Independent Payment decision cases.

Rachel Maclean: With respect to part (a) of the question, it is confirmed that the costs of administering appeals in the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal are recorded by HM Courts & Tribunals Service and not by the Ministry of Justice as a department.With respect to part (b) of the question, the total cost to HM Courts & Tribunal Service of administering appeals in the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal in each year since 2012-13 for (a) all cases was:HM Courts & Tribunals Service2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-22Social Security & Child Support Tribunal139,720,42887,357,36692,554,070105,776,214121,482,762117,804,233121,771,734104,792,533100,057,460The total cost to HM Courts & Tribunal Service of administering appeals in the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal in each year since 2012-13 specifically for (b) Work Capability Assessment cases and (c) Personal Independent Payment decision cases is not held at the requested level of granularity.

Small Businesses: Legal Costs

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made a recent estimate of how much English and Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises could save annually if barriers to accessing legal advice and the civil justice system were reduced.

Rachel Maclean: The Ministry of Justice has not directly made an assessment of these costs. However, we recognise the importance of businesses being able to access legal services in a cost effective way.The Government continues to take steps to improve access to justice for small businesses and support them to resolve legal issues in a cost effective way. This Government has undertaken extensive work on improving the reach and uptake of dispute resolution services, extending the fixed recoverable costs regime and supporting technological innovation in legal services. Through these initiatives, we aim to further improve the cost effectiveness, simplicity, and speed of resolving legal issues for small businesses. The Government has also invested in the creation of 38 Growth Hubs across England providing businesses with free one-to-one support and advice. Additionally, the Government’s Business support helpline can provide guidance to businesses on what support offers are available to them.

Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the previous Secretary of State’s announcement on Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) cases on 20 July 2022, when he will bring forward legislative proposals on SLAPPs.

Rachel Maclean: I refer to my answer to the Hon. Member for Croydon North on 7 September, the Government is continuing to explore options in relation to SLAPPs.

Powers of Attorney: Applications

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he will take to tackle delays to the processing of documents for Lasting Power of Attorney applications.

Rachel Maclean: The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is working to reduce the length of time that customers are currently waiting for their Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) to be registered. In order to tackle the backlog of applications that arose during the pandemic and meet the increased demand for services, OPG have hired extra staff and teams are working overtime and across multiple shift patterns to ensure customers receive their LPAs as quickly as possible. OPG have also introduced process efficiencies and continue to make sure they are doing all they can to improve the application journey for customers. The number of LPAs being registered each month is now back to pre-pandemic levels.

Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his timetable is for introducing legislative proposals on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

Rachel Maclean: I refer to my answer to the Hon. Member for Croydon North on 7 September, the Government is currently considering options in relation to SLAPPs.

Sexual Offences: Criminal Proceedings

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether victims of sexual assault can claim compensation for emotional distress in cases where court hearings have been delayed due to a backlog in cases.

Rachel Maclean: Under the Victims’ Code, all victims are entitled to be informed about the progress of their case in the system and to be provided with information about compensation. Victims of sexual assault may be eligible for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, but only for physical or mental injury which is a direct result of the crime. Victims may also receive court ordered compensation to be paid by the offender.As a result of our decisive action to tackle the challenges the pandemic created for users of the justice system, we had seen the Crown Court backlog fall from 60,400 in June 2021 to 59,000 in June 2022. However, the barrister strike action has begun to undermine this process, disrupting the courts, and seeing victims face further delays.In recognition of the crucial support which victims need to help them cope and recover from the trauma of these violent and abhorrent crimes, we will increase funding for victim and witness support services to £192m by 2024/25 - an uplift of 92% on core budgets from 2020/21. It is our aim for these measures to help to ensure that high quality support is available to victims when needed, and we are also using additional ringfenced funding to increase the number of ISVAs and IDVAs by 300 to over 1000 by 2024/25 - a 43% increase on the number of ISVAs and IDVAs over the next three years.

Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will publish a timeline for the implementation of the recommendations made in the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid.

Rachel Maclean: On 15 March, the Department published our interim response to Sir Christopher Bellamy’s report together with a consultation on related policy proposals. Our full response will be published in due course.

Sexual Offences: Criminal Proceedings

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for criminal court hearings involving sexual assault.

Rachel Maclean: Over the next three years, we are investing an additional £477 million to reduce the Crown Court backlog and reduce waiting times. To increase capacity in the criminal justice system, we have removed the limit on sitting days in the Crown Court for the second year in a row, extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms beyond the end of March 2022 and are extending our plans for judicial recruitment to deliver swifter justice for victims and reduce the backlog of cases.As a result of this decisive action, we have seen the Crown Court backlog fall from 60,400 in June 2021 to 59,000 in June 2022. However, the barrister strike action has begun to undermine this process, disrupting the courts, and seeing victims face further delays.As part of the Rape Review Action Plan, the Government also set out its action plan to drive improvements across the system; ensuring that victims of rape do not have to wait years to see justice and that our streets are made safer as quickly as possible.

Ministry of Justice: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many payments were fraudulently charged to his Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22; and what was the total value of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.

Rachel Maclean: It is not possible to provide a response within the disproportionate cost limit because the information is not held centrally.

Ministry of Justice: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish his Department’s data for spending over £500 using a government procurement card during the financial year 2021-22.

Rachel Maclean: The Department’s last published monthly transparency data for Government Procurement Card spending over £500 was for the months of April to June 2021, published on 6 September 2022. Viewed on Gov.uk Further data is currently going through the Department’s formal clearance process. The Department plans to publish data for July to September 2021 within the next month. Further data will be published in quarterly data sets throughout 2022.

Legal Aid Scheme: Domestic Abuse

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of domestic abuse in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Rachel Maclean: The requested information is not held centrally. It is not a requirement for an individual to disclose if they have been a victim of domestic abuse when applying for legal aid unless they are applying for legal aid in connection with a protective order or private family law cases under the domestic violence gateway. Consequently, it is not possible to specify how much legal aid has been spent across the whole of the legal aid scheme on domestic abuse victims in each of the last three years.The Legal Aid Agency’s published statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-january-to-march-2022 contains information regarding volumes of applications granted in connection with applying for protective orders and those applying for legal aid under the domestic violence gateway (see tables 6.1 and 6.8-10).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the statement agreed at the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief entitled Statement on freedom of religion or belief and gender equality, published on 7 July 2022, for what reason ‘sexual and reproductive health and rights’ and ‘bodily autonomy’ were removed from the statement, and if she will reinstate the original wording.

Leo Docherty: The UK is committed to defending and promoting universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and will continue working with other countries to protect gender equality in international agreements.In our capacity as Chair of the event, we amended the statement we made at the Freedom of Religion or Belief Conference to make the final statement more inclusive of all perspectives and views to allow for a constructive exchange of views on all issues. The UK continues to fund support and lead on issues of gender including on SRHR, through initiatives related to Women, Peace and Security and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Tobias White-Sansom

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions (a) she and (b) her Department has had with their Spanish counterparts regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of Tobias Evald White-Sansom in Mallorca on 31 July 2022.

Leo Docherty: FCDO Officials in Spain have met with representatives from the Guardia Civil to inform them of our interest in the case. They are also in touch with the lawyer of Mr White-Sansom's family and the relevant Spanish authorities and will continue to liaise with them. An investigation by the Spanish authorities is currently underway. The FCDO will continue to offer support to Mr White-Sansom's family at this difficult time.

Development Aid

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has established a definition of (a) essential and (b) non-essential overseas aid payments.

Vicky Ford: Due to pressures on the ODA budget, the government is currently prioritising critical overseas aid funding, while also meeting needs of people seeking sanctuary in the UK from conflict in Ukraine and Afghanistan. We will prioritise spending that is vital to protect against immediate threat to life and wellbeing, will prevent people falling into humanitarian need, or will prevent delays to accessing healthcare, primary education, sanitation and clean water, in addition to considering the value for money of any decisions.

Christopher Emms

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps Ministers in her Department have taken in relation to the case of Christopher Emms since his detention in Saudi Arabia on 6 February 2022.

Gillian Keegan: Following the decision by the Saudi Prosecutor's office in August not to extradite Mr Emms, the British Embassy requested that the Saudi authorities swiftly conclude the administrative procedures required to remove the Saudi arrest warrant on Mr Emms, thereby allowing him to depart Saudi Arabia. Most recently, on 5 September, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South and Central Asia, North Africa, UN & the Commonwealth, raised Mr Emms' case with His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the UK.Consular officials in Saudi Arabia and the UK continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Emms and his family. We cannot, of course, interfere in the judicial process of another country, just as we would not expect interference in our own. However, Mr Emms' safety and welfare remain of the utmost importance, and the Embassy has engaged with the Saudi government on a number of occasions since his arrest requesting that they expedite his case for welfare reasons.

Namibia: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British High Commission in Windhoek in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246084 a)Windhoek10-1920-2910-1910-1920-2920-2920-29

Barbados: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British High Commission in Bridgetown in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246082 a)Bridgetown40-4940-4940-4940-4940-4940-4940-49

Uganda: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British High Commission in Kampala in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246080 a)Kampala70-7990-9980-8990-9990-9990-9990-99

Turkey: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Ankara in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246079 a)Ankara100-119100-119100-119100-119100-11990-9990-99

Kenya: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Nairobi in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246076 a)Nairobi200-219240-259220-239260-279260-279260-279260-279

Republic of Ireland: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Dublin in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246075 a)Dublin20-2930-3920-2930-3940-4930-3930-39

Spain: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Madrid in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246077 a)Madrid70-7970-7980-89100-119100-119120-139120-139

Japan: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Tokyo in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246078 a)Tokyo70-7980-8970-7980-8980-8980-8980-89

Australia: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British High Commission in Canberra in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246083 a)Canberra30-3930-3930-3930-3930-3930-3930-39

Zimbabwe: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Harare in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246073 a)Harare70-7980-8980-8980-8970-7970-7970-79

France: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Paris in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246072 a)Paris120-139120-139120-139140-159140-159120-139120-139

Germany: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British Embassy in Berlin in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staff  LocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 2022Berlin80-8990-9990-99100-119100-11990-9980-89

Jagtar Singh Johal

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the compatibility of her policy on the case of British national Jagtar Singh Johal with Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations.

Gillian Keegan: The Government continues to work with international partners to enhance mechanisms to uphold international law, tackle human rights abuses, and stand up for our shared values. This includes strong support for the Canadian-led Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations which aims to raise awareness and end the use of arbitrary arrest, detention, or sentencing of foreign nationals for the purpose of exercising leverage over foreign governments.In relation to Mr Johal, the British Government has consistently raised concerns about his case directly with the Government of India, including his allegations of torture and mistreatment and his right to a fair trial. The former Prime Minister raised the case with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when they met in Delhi on 22 April 2022. The Prime Minister in her previous capacity as Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's detention with India's Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 31 March 2022, and met Mr Johal's family and MP on 9 June 2022. Ministers and officials have raised Mr Johal's case on almost 100 occasions and will continue to do so.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Expenditure

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s publication of spending over £25,000, what the purpose was of the £100,288.65 payment made by her Department to the Cabinet Office on 21 February 2022 under the description Pilot Assessment Centre.

Gillian Keegan: The payment was for the provision of Alternative Leadership Assessments and Staff Engagement Exercises offered via the Senior Civil Servants (SCS) Assessment Service in the Cabinet Office. These are used widely across Government for appointments into the SCS and we introduced them in FCDO in September 2021, as part of our new promotion process.

Ministry of Defence

USA: Trident Submarines

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on extending the maintenance contract for Trident at Kings Bay in Georgia, USA.

Mr Ben Wallace: The maintenance of Trident missiles is managed under the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement (amended for Trident in 1982) between the United States of America and United Kingdom. I have not discussed changing this maintenance arrangement with US colleagues.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had recent discussions with defence manufacturers on the provision of logistical support to help ensure they have the necessary materials for the production of goods for the Ukrainian Government.

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had recent discussions with defence manufacturers that are producing materials for the Ukrainian Government on their (a) energy consumption and (b) security of energy supply in future; and if he will make a statement.

Alec Shelbrooke: I will write to the hon. Member with the requested information shortly.

Trident Submarines

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with Babcock International Group on contingency plans to move Trident.

Mr Ben Wallace: There have been no discussions with Babcock International Group about plans to move the nuclear deterrent from Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.

Defence: Technology

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Business Relationship Managers will be employed on the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme.

Alec Shelbrooke: Three Business Relationship Managers will be employed to work on the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP). These Business Relationship Managers will be supporting suppliers across the UK. Business Relationship Managers will themselves be supported by the Defence and Security Accelerator's (DASA) existing network of Innovation Partners, and Access to Mentoring and Finance Partners who are based across all English regions and the Devolved Administrations to provide support to suppliers wishing to work with and access funding via DASA.

Ajax Vehicles: Testing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 19 May 2022, HCWS42, on Ajax Update, whether any further individuals working with Ajax have had long term restrictions on noise exposure recommended, beyond the 13 previously confirmed.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 19 May 2022, HCWS42, on Ajax Update, whether any further personnel working on Ajax remain under specialist outpatient care for hearing and other ENT issues, beyond the five previously confirmed.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 19 May 2022, HCWS42, on Ajax Update, whether any further personnel working on Ajax have been discharged on health grounds, beyond the four previously confirmed.

Alec Shelbrooke: As at 22 June, of the 310 personnel identified as working with Ajax there has been no further increase to the number of individuals with long-term restrictions employment, under specialist care or medically discharge due to noise from those reported in the statement provided by the then Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin MP, on 19 May 2022, HCWS42. I will continue the commitment of my predecessor to update the House on the number of personnel affected by noise and vibration and on the progress of the Ajax programme and will give a statement to the House in the near future.

Ajax Vehicles: Testing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the independent Millbrook trials for the Ajax armoured vehicles have resumed.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 19 May (HCWS42) in which it was confirmed the independent Millbrook trials had concluded and that Millbrook continue to provide independent support to determine the effectiveness of the modifications proposed by General Dynamics. User validation trials remain paused while investigations continue into the effectiveness of the internal communications system. They will resume once the Ajax safety panel is satisfied that it is right to do so.

Air Force: Training

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons an internal inspection of the RAF’s flying training has been launched; and what that inspection will look at.

James Heappey: The audit of the military flying training pipeline was requested to provide impartial analysis of its ability to supply sufficient fast jet pilots to meet the operational demands set by the Defence Plan. This audit will be conducted by Defence Operational Capability who are independent of the Royal Air Force.

Clyde Naval Base

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Government Major Projects Portfolio Data 2022, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of delivering the Clyde Infrastructure Programme (a) on time and (b) on budget in the context of the Independent Projects Authority's rating of that project as red.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Clyde Infrastructure Programme (CIP) consists of a complex set of individual projects which will re-capitalise existing assets and build new facilities in direct support of critical Defence outputs. The CIP will provide the fit for purpose infrastructure assets required of His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde as the Royal Navy's Single Integrated Operating Base and Submarine Centre of Specialisation. The total investment is £1.8 billion over 15 years. An Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) Review was undertaken on the CIP in June 2022 where the Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) was rated as AMBER. This is an improvement to the October 2021 DCA which was rated as RED.

Merlin Helicopters: Early Warning Systems

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the whole-life cost of the Crowsnest programme has increased by £9 million as a result of a VAT tribunal decision.

Alec Shelbrooke: As a result of the VAT Tribunal ruling that the Crowsnest Contract is now considered a Contracted-Out Service for VAT purposes, the projected costs of the Crowsnest programme are forecast to reduce – in terms of project accruals - of around £25.3 million. The £9 million referred to, is not a consequence of the VAT tribunal decision. It reflects a reprofile of budget allocation. Budget not consumed by CROWSNEST in the previous years which has been redistributed into future years. However, the overall programme accrued costs have reduced accordingly.

Type 26 Frigates: Procurement

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to announce the signature of a contract for Batch 2 of the Type 26 frigate; and if he will make a statement.

Alec Shelbrooke: As negotiations for Type 26 Batch 2 are still in progress, it would not be appropriate to release any further information. The House will be updated in due course.

National Grid Electricity Transmission: AAC Wattisham

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to engage with National Grid's consultation on the East Anglia GREEN proposals in respect of Wattisham Air Base.

Alec Shelbrooke: Wattisham Flying Station (WFS) are in consultation with the National Grid East Anglia Green project team. National Grid representatives attended a meeting at WFS on 14 July 2022 to outline the proposal to WFS stakeholders to understand the risks and issues that may arise due to low flying aircraft in proximity to the power lines. Future engagements will continue.

HMS Quorn: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the competitive tendering process for the award of the contract to overhaul the former Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel, HMS Quorn.

Alec Shelbrooke: A formal competitive process was run by the Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations on behalf of the Lithuanian Defence Materiel Authority (LTU DMA). During the bid process all but one of the bidders withdrew from the process. The competitive process was brought to a conclusion with the single remaining bidder as permitted by the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations. The contract was placed with Harland and Wolff (Appledore) Limited and immediately novated to LTU DMA and is proceeding in accordance with its terms.

Harland and Wolff: Contracts

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government conducted capital adequacy tests on Harland & Wolff before it was awarded the contract to regenerate the former Royal Navy mine-hunting vessel, HMS Quorn.

Alec Shelbrooke: A capital adequacy test was conducted as part of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire process and risk mitigations were enacted where necessary, which were fed through into the contracting process.

Harland and Wolff: Contracts

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the announcement on 14 July 2022 that British shipyard, Harland & Wolff, has been awarded a £55 million contract to regenerate a former Royal Navy mine-hunting vessel, whether it is Harland & Wolff, the wholly owned subsidiary, Harland & Wolff Group Holdings plc, or another corporate entity which now holds that contract.

Alec Shelbrooke: The contract for the regeneration of HMS Quorn was awarded to Harland and Wolff Appledore Limited.

Guided Weapons: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Government Major Projects Portfolio Data 2022, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of delivering the Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon programme (a) on time and (b) on budget in the context of the Independent Projects Authority's rating of that programme as red.

Alec Shelbrooke: The delivery confidence of the Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) programme, which is currently in Assessment phase, was assessed as RED by the Senior Responsible Owner and this was confirmed at the programme's first Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) review in February 2022. Recommendations outlined in the IPA report have since been implemented and incorporated into the programme plan with support from across the Defence enterprise and in May 2022, a follow up review was completed by the IPA team where the delivery confidence assessment for FCASW programme outcomes (Performance, Cost and Time) was upgraded to AMBER.As is standard Defence practice, the FCASW programme remains subject to regular review against delivery of performance, cost and time parameters by both internal and external independent bodies.

Merlin Helicopters: Early Warning Systems

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Government Major Projects Portfolio Data 2022, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of delivering the Crowsnest programme (a) on time and (b) on budget in the context of the Independent Projects Authority's rating of that programme as red.

Alec Shelbrooke: In terms of feasibility, CROWSNEST achieved its In Service Date in February 2021 and has already deployed on the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers in 2021 and 2022. It was recently assessed on its last Independent Projects Authority's Gateway Review June 2022 as Amber.A formal review has been completed with CROWSNEST remaining within its budget. A timing reapproval Review Note has been submitted for the Department's consideration.

HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the nature is of the defect that recently affected HMS Prince of Wales; and what the timetable is for rectifying that issue.

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who the senior engineering officer is of HMS Prince of Wales.

Alec Shelbrooke: Shortly after HMS PRINCE OF WALES (PWLS) sailed on 27 August, a mechanical fault was discovered with the starboard shaft. Our initial assessment has revealed that a coupling which joins the final two sections of the shaft has failed. This is a very unusual fault, and we continue to pursue all repair options. It is too early to say what the timetable is for rectifying the issue.While PWLS has a Senior Marine Engineering Officer who reports to the Captain, responsibility for the safety and material state of any warship lies with her Commanding Officer.

HMS Glasgow

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his most recent estimate is of when HMS Glasgow will achieve initial operating capability.

Alec Shelbrooke: HMS Glasgow is forecast to achieve Initial Operating Capability in Royal Navy service in 2028.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentres: Disability

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any of the training modules for (a) Work Coaches and (b) Disability Employment Advisers have been coproduced by disabled people.

Julie Marson: All DWP learning for Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers is designed in partnership with Work Psychologists, external organisations such as MIND, (a national charity providing mental health information and support), RNIB, (Royal National Institute of Blind People), SENSE, (a national charity set-up to support people who are deafblind or have other complex disabilities), and National Autistic Society alongside DWP staff who have a variety of disabilities to ensure that learning is not only accessible to all but is sensitive to everyone’s requirements regardless of abilities/disabilities. DWP are also working with Microsoft to provide Accessibility Fundamentals learning which helps work coaches / DEAs understand the various features in Microsoft that can be used to make opportunities more accessible for all our customers.

Jobcentres: Disability

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what topics are covered in the initial training received by disability employment advisers.

Julie Marson: All Disability Employment Advisers (DEA) undertake full Work Coach learning prior to receiving DEA specific learning to ensure they understand the health and complex needs of our customers. The DEA learning consists of number of workshops to allow a learn-consolidate-learn approach: Workshop OneKnowledge to Support OthersTools, resources, and supportThe Equality Act (2010)Disabilities and health conditionsDisability models and perceptionsDiscrimination, prejudice, and stereotypingTypes of discriminationChallenging inequalitiesConsolidation and Presenting with Impact Workshop TwoReview of consolidationSupport and provisionDisability HubAdvocacyReview and close Workshop ThreeCoaching peersCase conferencing3-way interviewingReview and next steps  Workshop FourWorking with PartnersEmployer EngagementRetentionSkills Exercise All staff must also undertake specific ‘Mental Health’ learning for Coaching.

Department for Work and Pensions: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many payments were fraudulently charged to her Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22; and what was the total value of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.

Julie Marson: There were no fraudulent payments charged during (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22. Pre- and post- payment checks, along with additional compliance checks by budget holders are done on a monthly basis and have not identified any fraudulent payments.

State Retirement Pensions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will receive their state pension for the first time in the 2022-23 financial year.

Victoria Prentis: The latest forecast of people who will receive their State Pension for the first time in the 2022/23 financial year is 738,300.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Veterinary Medicine: Higher Education

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of UK nationals being admitted to veterinary school.

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle staffing shortages in the veterinary sector.

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the steps Government could take to increase the number of foreign nationals coming to the UK to work in veterinary care.

Mark Spencer: The Government recognises the importance of veterinarians who want to live and work in the UK and make a significant contribution to animal health. It is important that we do not just attract undergraduates but also provide for existing veterinary staff to have a fulfilling and satisfying career. The dropout rate from the profession is concerning. Therefore government officials are considering what can be done to attract and retain staff in the veterinary sector.We are currently considering the proposals received from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for a new Veterinary Surgeons Act and are also exploring how best to revise veterinary legislation accordingly.Following advice from Defra and the veterinary sector, the veterinary profession was added to the Government's Shortage Occupation List in September 2019. This has enabled employers to recruit overseas veterinary surgeons more easily. We will provide expert analysis and advice when the Shortage Occupation List is next reviewed.

Home Office

Sexual Harassment

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how reported incidents of catcalling, including on the street, are logged by the police.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sexual Harassment

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of catcalling have been reported to the police in the UK since January 2022.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Police: Complaints

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether complainants automatically have a right to review decisions made by the police internal legal teams on police conduct complaints that have not been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Jeremy Quin: Since the Government’s reforms to police complaints and discipline on 1 February 2020, complainants have a right to an independent review of the way their complaint was handed by the force, providing they were directly affected by the matter complained about and it was dealt with as a formal complaint.Such reviews, which must be requested within 28 days, and are carried out by either the local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) or the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) depending on the circumstances. Further information about these processes are available on the IOPC’s website.

Safer Streets Fund: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been allocated to local organisations in Havering from the Safer Streets Fund.

Jeremy Quin: While no Safer Streets Funding has been allocated to Havering specifically, in total, since the inception of the Safer Streets Fund in 2020, £3,298,201 has been awarded to 12 projects within the Mayors Office for Police and Crime area across four rounds of the Fund. This includes projects in Barnet, Haringey and Hackney, which have been targeted at preventing and reducing neighbourhood crime, violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour.PCCs are responsible for prioritising bids for their areas, and as MOPAC has experience of developing successful bids the Home Office would recommend engaging with them at the earliest opportunity. All bids submitted to the Fund are assessed in a fair and transparent manner against the published criteria and in line with commercial requirements, and the Home Office will ensure any further funding is advertised widely to those eligible to bid.

Police: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2022 to Question 3503, on Police: Havering, whether she has had discussions with chief constables, police and crime commissioners and mayors on ensuring that locally-funded police officers are not asked to perform activities in other boroughs; and whether guidelines are in place for chief constables about the allocation of resources.

Jeremy Quin: It is for Chief Constables and directly elected local policing bodies (including Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), Mayors exercising PCC functions and the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) to make operational decisions including how to allocate resources based on their local knowledge and experience, as well as any relevant Section 92 grant related conditions placed on Section 92 grants.The Policing Protocol sets out to all local policing bodies, Chief Constables and Police and Crime Panels (including the London Assembly Police and Crime Panel) how their functions will be exercised in relation to each other. It sets out the high-level financial responsibilities of the local policing body and the Chief Constable, making clear that the former is ultimately accountable to the public for the management of the Police Fund while the latter has day to day responsibility for managing their allocated budgets after these have been approved by the local policing body.The department also publishes a Financial Management Code of Practice which provides clarity around the financial governance arrangements within the police in England and Wales. The Code builds on the Policing Protocol and sets out the working financial relationship between the local policing bodies and the Chief Constable and their respective Chief Finance Officers, having regard also to the role performed by the local policing body’s Chief Executive.

Homicide: Young People

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on the number of teenage homicides in the Metropolitan Police Service area.

Jeremy Quin: We are providing the police and law enforcement agencies assets they need to bring murderers to justice – through record investment in policing, recruitment of 20,000 police officers, backing officers to use stop and search powers, and introducing legislation to tackle serious violence and keep serious offenders in prison for longer.Every knife taken off our streets is a potential life saved, and since December 2019, 72,000 knives and offensive weapons have been removed from our streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action.

Fuels: Theft

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of trends in the level of fuel theft since March 2022.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is working closely with police and industry partners to do everything we can collectively to drive down acquisitive crime, including theft of fuel. There are no official figures on the theft of fuel since March 2022..The Home Office funded the set-up of the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership (NICRP), which ensures national co-ordination of policing and law enforcement partners to tackle crime affecting infrastructure companies including rail networks, utility, agricultural and construction companies. Fuel theft is a concern and reports are being mapped and monitored through this Partnership to provide insights on the scale of these thefts and potential preventative measures.Fuel users storing fuel in tanks or in vehicles and machinery on their site(s) should continue to take steps to ensure this is stored securely. Practical crime prevention advice is published on the Secured by Design website, developed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives: https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.

London Fire Brigade

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is offering additional support to the London Fire Brigade in light of the recent wildfires.

Jeremy Quin: The Government intends to research the issue further, looking at the impacts of portable and disposable barbecues on the environment. This research will also include the impact of sky lanterns which may be a factor in causing wildfires.Should the evidence indicate that these items represent a risk, we will of course examine the most appropriate options available to protect our precious natural environment for ours and future generations.At a local level, each Fire and Rescue Authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfires) through their Integrated Risk Management Plan. This will include plans to prevent and respond to incidents and Fire and Rescue Services will have regard to other key local responders including landowners and other emergency services in their planning.

Fire and Rescue Services

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to future proof fire brigades in tackling wildfire and other fire incidents as a result of extreme weather events.

Jeremy Quin: The Government intends to research the issue further, looking at the impacts of portable and disposable barbecues on the environment. This research will also include the impact of sky lanterns which may be a factor in causing wildfires.Should the evidence indicate that these items represent a risk, we will of course examine the most appropriate options available to protect our precious natural environment for ours and future generations.At a local level, each Fire and Rescue Authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfires) through their Integrated Risk Management Plan. This will include plans to prevent and respond to incidents and Fire and Rescue Services will have regard to other key local responders including landowners and other emergency services in their planning.

Police: Stun Guns

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what allocation has been awarded to the West Midlands for the purposes of equipping police officers with tasers.

Jeremy Quin: The government is committed to giving police the tools and equipment they need to keep themselves and the public safe from harm. That is why in 2020 the Home Secretary provided £6.7 million to equip up to 8,000 more officers with Taser. West Midlands requested and received £206,250.Decisions around the purchase and supply of Taser is an operational issue and one that is made by Chief Officers in line with forces’ strategic threat and risk assessments.

National Crime Agency: Finance

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to the National Crime Agency to enforce sanctions in relation to the war in Ukraine.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office welcomes the announcement on the Combatting Kleptocracy Cell in the National Crime Agency which will focus on corrupt elites laundering their assets within the UK, including through supporting work on criminal sanctions enforcement. The NCA has already surged additional officers to support existing efforts and the Home Office will support the unit to drive forwards what are inevitably complex and lengthy operations.The Spending Review 2021 settlement and the Economic Crime Levy represent an overall package of circa £400 million to tackle economic crime over the next three years, including support for the NCA’s National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) and law enforcement.

Police: Lancashire

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police staff have been made redundant in Lancashire in the last year for which data is available.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police staff leavers in England and Wales in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Data on the number of police staff who left during the financial year, on both a full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount basis, since 2007 can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1093591/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-270722.odsThis data includes the leaver type ‘Dismissal/Contract termination’. This category includes individuals who have been made compulsorily redundant. It also includes those who were required to resign such as dismissals for misconduct or have had their contract terminated.

Anti-social Behaviour: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on tackling antisocial behaviour in Newport West constituency.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB).There have been no recent discussions between Ministers and the Welsh Government on ASB in Newport West. We provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies in England and Wales with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.It is for Chief Constables and PCCs, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to respond to local crime priorities and to help ensure that the police have the resources they need, we have given them the biggest funding increase in a decade and are recruiting 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, which provides extra resource to protect the public and keep us safe.Home Office statutory guidance was updated in June 2022. It supports local areas to make effective use of the anti-social behaviour powers. The Home Office chairs the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners from agencies, other Government departments and the Welsh Government, to discuss any arising ASB issues and share best practice.

Anti-social Behaviour

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that anti-social behaviour is recorded consistently across the country.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of creating a national database to record acts of anti-social behaviour.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of having a national standard for the reporting of anti-social behaviour.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent anti-social behaviour can have on both individuals and communities.We monitor the national statistics on ASB through police recorded crime incident data and the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which presents people’s perceptions of levels of ASB. Given the localised nature of ASB, we do not currently plan to introduce a national standard for the reporting of ASB or create a national database.We do, however, keep ASB under review through the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together a range of partners from key agencies and other Government departments to discuss ASB issues and share best practice. We have recently published multi-agency principles, endorsed by the Board, which seek to describe a consistent approach to addressing ASB in local communities and to ensure a strong and effective partnership response to anti-social behaviour, including local reporting and referral pathways.Recommendations from Part Two of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Review were published on Monday 7 March 2022. The overall package strengthens and expands the role of PCCs. We want to ensure that PCCs have sufficient tools and levers to more effectively scrutinise and challenge partnership activity on ASB. To do this, PCCs should be able to bring partners together on ASB, direct local ASB strategy and request local data on ASB.

Firearms: Licensing

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to change the law on gun control in the UK, following the recent fatal shooting in Liverpool.

Jeremy Quin: The tragic death of nine year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel on 22 August was truly shocking.We have some of the toughest firearms controls in the world which we keep under constant review to safeguard against abuse by criminals and to preserve public safety. In recent years we have tightened controls on antique firearms, consulted on further changes to support firearms safety, and introduced Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing to Chief Officers of Police to improve the consistency and quality of decision-making. The recent shootings in Liverpool are the subject of ongoing investigations but we will not hesitate to strengthen the controls further if necessary.The Home Secretary visited Merseyside on 26 August and announced a £150,000 package to support the communities of Liverpool and Knowsley, which will provide specialist trauma informed support in nearby schools, as well as mental health provisions for those closely affected.The Home Secretary also announced £350,000 to expand the ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ pilot to other areas in Merseyside affected by Serious and Organised Crime.

Nitrous Oxide: Misuse

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) restricting or (b) banning the recreational use or sale of nitrous oxide.

Jeremy Quin: The Government takes the supply of substances for their psychoactive effect seriously. There are legitimate uses for nitrous oxide, such as in medicine, dentistry and as a propellant for whipped cream canisters, but those who supply nitrous oxide who know, or who are reckless as to whether, it will be used for its psychoactive effect may be subject to a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.The Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced powers, such as Public Space Protection Orders, which the police and local councils can use to prevent people from taking intoxicating substances, including psychoactive substances such as nitrous oxide, in specified areas.On 3 September 2021, the Government asked the independent statutory advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, to provide an updated assessment of the harms of nitrous oxide, including whether it should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD is independent of Government and provides a broad range of recommendations, including advice on legislative changes. The Government will consider the ACMD’s advice carefully before deciding how to proceed.

West Midlands Police: Standards

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the analysis of Home Office data released in July 2022 showing that West Midlands Police have closed 46% of investigations without identifying a suspect, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of West Midlands Police.

Jeremy Quin: As the independent Inspectorate, HMICFRS has a statutory responsibility to inspect the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces in England and Wales. Its reports provide transparency on the effectiveness and efficiency of policing in England and Wales to Ministers, the public, forces and to Police and Crime Commissioners.HMICFRS published its finding from its most recent PEEL inspection of West Midlands Police in November 2021. West Midlands Police received a ‘Requires Improvement’ grade for investigating crime (albeit with three areas of innovative practice identified) and for protecting vulnerable people. The findings in respect of the victim services’ assessment highlighted the following area for improvement: “The force needs to improve how it investigates reported crimes and must make sure that its investigations are proportionate, thorough and prompt”.The Government is delivering on the people’s priorities by recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers. As at 30 June 2022, West Midlands Police has recruited 899 additional uplift officers against a total three year allocation of 1,218 officers, including 488 uplift officers in the final year of the Police Uplift Programme. West Midlands police’s funding will be up to £695.6m in 2022/23, an increase of up to £40.1m when compared to 2021/22.The whole Criminal Justice System (CJS) must work effectively for victims, defendants, and communities. This includes ensuring that robust and effective investigations are carried out and timely decisions are made. The CJS Delivery Data Dashboards, launched in December 2021, are a vital step in improving transparency, and increasing understanding of the CJS, allowing PCCs, other local leaders and members of the public to see how their local area is performing.

Police: Recruitment

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police staff roles have been disestablished since the advent of the Police Uplift Programme (a) within Lancashire Police and (b) nationwide.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HM Passport Office: ICT

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were employed by the Digital Application Processing development programme in HM Passport Office on 1 January 2021.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HM Passport Office: ICT

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are engaged in working on the development programme of Digital Application Processing at HM Passport Office as of 20 July 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Ukraine

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that Ukrainian refugees have access to public transport in rural Hertfordshire.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Rwanda

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what budget was made available for advertising relating to the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership in the 2022-23 financial year; how much and what proportion of this budget has been spent as on 2 September 2022; and if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of this spending.

Tom Pursglove: Communications support the Department’s work to implement the Nationality and Borders Act, deter the exploitation of people by organised criminal gangs. and explain key policies and provide up-to-date information.When the Migration and Economic Development Partnership was launched in April 2022, social media posts containing information on the policy were amplified on the Home Office’s social media channels, using a budget of approximately £50,000.The Home Office also is running a communications campaign outside the UK, which launched in June 2022 (although activity has been temporarily paused as a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen). This campaign provides factual information about the risks of illegal migration, including details on the dangers of illegal travel to the UK by boat, explains what happens if people arrive in the UK from a safe country, including the potential for relocation to Rwanda or another safe third country, and sets out the safe and legal options for coming to the UK.Currently the Home Office plans to spend up to approximately £100,000 on the migrant communications campaign, and to date approximately £87,159.06 has been spent. However, this campaign is not solely used to publicise the Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, as its key messages cover the campaign’s objective to inform potential migrants about all the risks of illegal migration, to discourage them from making dangerous Channel crossings.

Counter-terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a timetable for the revision of her Department's Prevent scheme in the context of recent academic discussions relating to mixed ideology.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Small Businesses: Fraud

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on taking steps to help protect small businesses from fraud through identity theft.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many payments were fraudulently charged to her Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22; and what was the total value of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Ashara London 1444H sermons given by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin in Northolt were accredited by the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Anti-social Behaviour and Crime: Rural Areas

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect rural communities from (a) crime and (b) anti-social behaviour.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department’s publication of data for spending over £500 on a procurement card, when she plans to publish the figures for spending in the month of January 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The publication of data for spending over £500 on a procurement card for the month of January 2022 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-procurement-card-spend-over-500-2022.

Anti-social Behaviour

Jacob Young: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether territorial forces are able to apply for additional funding to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Police: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on making an estimate of the number of (a) serving and (b) former police officers in Newport West constituency who are in fuel poverty as on 2 September 2022.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on making an estimate of the number of (a) serving and (b) former police officers in Newport West constituency who are at risk of homelessness as on 2 September 2022.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on making an estimate of the number of (a) serving and (b) former police officers in Newport West constituency who are in food poverty as on 2 September 2022.

Jeremy Quin: The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on essentials. Building on previously announced packages of support, in May we announced a significant additional cost of living support package targeted at those with the greatest need.The Government has recently outlined a further substantial package of support. This support includes helping all domestic electricity customers in Great Britain cope with the impact of higher energy bills, with £400 off their bills from October through the expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.Furthermore we accepted in full the Police Remuneration Review Body’s recommendation to award a consolidated increase of £1,900 to all police officer ranks and pay points it will provide an uplift of up to 8.8%.The Government has also introduced a Police Covenant, which recognises the service and sacrifice of current and former members of the police workforce. As part of this, we are focusing on health and wellbeing, physical protection and support for families.

Fires

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the role of (a) disposable barbecues and (b) other factors in causing wildfires; and what recent steps her Department has taken to help prevent wildfires.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Anti-social Behaviour: Parks

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the use of CCTV cameras in parks on anti-social behaviour.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

London Policing College: China

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the London Policing College's partnerships in China were subject to (a) authorisation by her Department, (b) an international police assistance brief approval process and (c) the consideration of overseas security and justice assistance assessments.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Crime

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Safer Streets Fund on reported crime.

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Safer Streets Fund on reported crime in Wales.

Tom Pursglove: All rounds of the Safer Streets Fund are subject to independent evaluation, which is vital in ensuring we learn lessons about what works in preventing crime to inform future government policy and funding. The evaluation of Round One of the Fund, which has now completed, has been finalised and we intend to publish in due course. Interim lessons learnt, including from Rounds Two and Three where evaluation is ongoing, have been shared with those eligible to bid for funding and those subsequently awarded funding to help inform their approach.

Asylum: Applications

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional members of staff have been recruited to tackle asylum application delays.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many interviews have been omitted from the asylum application process since June 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office is unable to state how many asylum interviews have been omitted from the asylum process since June 2022 as this information is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Home Office currently employs c.895 asylum decision-makers. There are recruitment strategies in place, with the aim of increasing staffing and reducing the number of cases awaiting a decision and increasing outputs.

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the later dated 25 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow Central regarding a constituent, reference 28507935.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 5 September 2022.

Burglary

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of charges for burglary.

Jeremy Quin: This Government recognises the devastating impact burglary has on communities and businesses. That is why we are recruiting 20,000 extra police officers and why we established the Safer Streets Fund to help prevent these crimes from happening in the first place, supporting the deployment of solutions such as home security, increased streetlighting and CCTV in high crime areas.We are also taking a range of measures to tackle reoffending, including the tagging scheme for neighbourhood crime offenders released on licence, and work led by the Residential Burglary Taskforce, driving forward the sharing of best practice about effective police investigations.

Passports: Applications

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to clear (a) backlogs and (b) delays at the Passport Office.

Tom Pursglove: Between January and July 2022, His Majesty’s Passport Office processed 96.4% of standard UK applications within the published processing time of ten weeks.Elevated passport demand is expected to continue into 2023, and HM Passport Office is working to help ensure that people continue to receive their passport in good time.

British Nationality: Assessments

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2022 to Question HL1710 on British Nationality: Assessments, how many and what proportion of Life in the UK test centres undertook checks that individuals waited at least seven days since their last test in the latest period for which data is available; and what steps her Department is taking to monitor this.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2022 to Question HL1710 on British Nationality: Assessments, how many and what proportion of individuals who sat the Life in the UK test did so without waiting at least seven days since their previous test in the latest period for which data is available; and what steps her Department is taking to monitor this.

Tom Pursglove: Life in the UK testing is provided and hosted by PSI Services (UK) Limited who operate a self-booking process. Candidates are able to book tests in multiple slots; they are not limited by the system as to how frequently a test can be taken and there is no requirement for customers to wait seven days before taking a test again. Therefore, no checks are conducted by test centres, or the online booking system, on the length of time a candidate has waited for their test. Guidance on gov.uk is being updated to reflect that there is no requirement to wait seven days.

Roads: Safety

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding to local authorities to improve street safety, such as additional funding for the maintenance of street lighting.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is providing local authorities with additional funding to improve street safety through the Safer Streets Fund.Over the first four rounds of the Safer Streets Fund, £120 million has been awarded to local projects to prevent crime through measures such as improved street lighting.Local authorities have been eligible to bid for funding since Round Two of the Fund. All rounds of funding are subject to independent evaluation, which is vital to understand what is effective at improving street safety and how future Government investment should be targeted.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to amend the Skilled Worker Visa to enable visa holders to have a second job outside of their permitted occupation.

Tom Pursglove: The Government has no plans to change the supplementary employment rules. The rules were put in place to protect migrant workers from exploitation. In their main employment, migrant workers must be sponsored by a registered sponsor. A migrant may undertake supplementary employment of up to 20 hours per week in a job which is in the same occupation code and at the same level as their main job, or in a shortage occupation. If they wish to work more hours, or in a different qualifying role, they can apply to vary their permission to stay so that both jobs are with Home Office approved sponsors.

Fire Extinguishers

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the number of serious fires in buildings that may have been prevented by the installation of sprinklers over the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs). This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Data is collected on FRS incidents attended through the Incident Recording System (IRS). However, this database does not hold information on incidents prevented. Records are not held as to how many serious fires were prevented due to the presence of a sprinkler system.The IRS holds data on fire incidents in buildings, including whether a safety system, such as sprinklers, were installed. This is available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1096397/other-building-fires-dataset-110822.ods

Asylum

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are there currently in the UK who would previously have been returned to the first country they arrived in under the Dublin Agreement.

Tom Pursglove: Until 31 December 2020, the UK was bound by, and participated in, the EU’s Dublin arrangements for assigning EU Member State responsibility for considering asylum claims. These arrangements included use of the Eurodac fingerprint database, which assisted identifying an individual’s earlier presence in another Member State. Responsibility for claims was determined according to a referral mechanism between Member States and the application of a hierarchical criteria to the particular facts of each case.Since the UK no longer participates in the Dublin arrangements, these specific considerations and referral mechanisms no longer operate as they did. There are therefore no statistics available to show how many people who have claimed asylum in the UK would, or could, have been identified and considered for action within Dublin were it to have continued, or how many of those we would have removed.

Asylum: Applications

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to set a target time for processing outstanding claims for asylum made before the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 came into force on 28 June 2022; how many such claims are pending; what the earliest submission date is for those pending claims; if she will make it her policy to expedite older claims by date of submission; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not currently have a target time for processing applications for asylum, but are committed to ensuring that asylum claims are considered without unnecessary delay. Asylum Operations are working to reintroduce a service standard for the processing of asylum applications. It is our intention to reintroduce a service standard aligning with the recommendation from the recent Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s (ICIBI) published report - An inspection of asylum casework (November 2021). We have already made progress in prioritising claims with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children. Additionally, we are prioritising older claims and those where an individual has already received a decision, but a reconsideration is required. Information regarding how many initial asylum claims are pending and the earliest submission date is published as part of the Government’s transparency agenda, the latest release of which can be found at table Asy_04 of the Asylum Migration Data June 2022: List of tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Body Searches: Children

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children under the age of 16 have been strip searched by the Metropolitan Police in each of the last three years.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children under the age of 16 have had their genitalia uncovered as part of a strip search by the Metropolitan Police in each of the last three years.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children under the age of 16 have been strip searched by the Metropolitan Police in each of the last three years, by racial categories.

Jeremy Quin: For the first time, information on strip searches that have taken place whilst a person is detained in police custody is being collected by the Home Office. These data will be published as part of the Police Powers and Procedures statistical publication on 17 November 2022: Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2022 - National statistics announcement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police. There will be times when its use is necessary, to prevent or detect crime or protect the individual or officers. However, it must be used in accordance with the law and with full regard for the welfare and dignity of the individual being searched, particularly if that individual is a child.

Refugees

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many community sponsorship applications have been (a) submitted and (b) approved in the last 12 months; and how many applications were pending as 1 September 2022.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to promote Community Sponsorship programmes to support refugee resettlement.

Tom Pursglove: Community Sponsorship enables local volunteer groups including charities and faith groups, to directly welcome and support refugees, helping with accommodation and integration support. Between the 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022, 67 applications were submitted by groups wishing to sponsor refugees, and 62 applications have been approved during that period of time. To note, those approved may not necessarily be the same as those submitted during the year reported.  More than 790 refugees have been resettled through Community Sponsorship since the scheme began in 2016. Details of the number of refugees resettled through community sponsorship each quarter are published in the quarterly immigration statistics. The latest release is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets. Through the New Plan for Immigration, the Government has committed to increase the number of resettled refugees supported through Community Sponsorship, encouraging stronger partnerships between local government and community groups. The Government funds Reset, a capacity building organisation to increase the number and diversity of Community Sponsorship groups and catalyse the growth of the scheme. This includes campaign work targeting the recruitment of new sponsor groups, and a toolkit which supports others to help raise awareness of Community Sponsorship.

Knives: Crime

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to tackle knife crime in (a) Slough constituency and (b) the South East.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is determined to tackle serious violence, including knife crime, and has made £130m available this financial year (22/23) to do so. This includes £64m for our network of 20 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area, and £30m for our targeted police programme, Grip (previously Surge).An independent evaluation of these programmes compared numbers of police-recorded violent offences taking place in the areas where these programmes operate with matched (control) areas. This found that in their first two years of operation, the programmes had together prevented an estimated 49,000 offences.Over 10 years, we are also investing £200m in the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), which funds interventions to divert children and young people away from exploitation and serious violence. The previous Home Secretary visited Thames Valley Police and the VRU on 11 and 31 August. She met the Police and Crime Commissioner and other force leaders from the Southeast of England to discuss the positive work they are doing to reduce serious violence in their areas. The Home Office has provided funding to 7 police forces and VRUs across the Southeast to combat serious violence, including knife crime. The areas that receive VRU funding are London, Thames Valley, Essex, Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, and Bedfordshire. The Thames Valley VRU has received c £5.5m since 2019. This includes £1.16m in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22, and a further £2m in 2022/23. The VRU also received additional investment of £787,000 in 2021/22 to deliver two programmes that capitalise on key moments where learning is expected to be best heard in a young person’s life, such as on admission to A&E or in police custody. The Metropolitan Police and the London VRU have received a combined c.£91.1m since 2019, including c.£20.7m for this financial year. The remaining six areas have received a combined c.£54.8m since 2019, including c.£13.9m for this financial year. VRUs are also delivering youth interventions with their funding. Thames Valley’s VRU-funded ‘Hospital Navigators’ programme is delivered in 5 major A&Es across the area, including Slough, and provides immediate support to young people attending A&E because of a violent incident. This supported more than 470 vulnerable young people last year and has received additional funding from the YEF to evaluate its impact.The South-eastern areas that receive VRU funding also receive funding for the Grip programme. Thames Valley Police have been allocated c.£4.8m over the last three years, including c.£798k for this financial year (2022/23). The Metropolitan Police have been allocated approximately £50.9m over the last three years, including £7.9m for this financial year (2022/23). The remaining six areas have received a combined c.£19.6m since 2019, including c.£3.6m in the current financial year of 2022/23.The Government also encourages funding to be used on national weeks of action through Operation Sceptre. The latest phase of this operation took place between 16 and 22 May 2022. In the Thames Valley Police area, 13 knives were seized during enforcement action, with a further 97 being surrendered or seized during operational weapon sweeps.In 2022/23, Thames Valley Police will receive up to £511.9m from Government Grants and precept. This is an increase of up to £28.6m compared to 2021/22. Through the Government’s Police Uplift Programme, Thames Valley Police has been allocated 609 additional officers. As of 30 June 2022, the force has recruited 442 of these.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis: Resignations

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report by Sir Thomas Winsor entitled Special commission on the resignation of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, published on 2 September 2022.

Jeremy Quin: Sir Tom presented his report to the Home Office on 24 August 2022 and, given the public interest in the matter, the Home Secretary decided to publish the report in full on gov.uk on 2 September.In the report, Sir Tom states that he believes due process was not followed by the Mayor of London and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in the actions they took which led, on 10 February 2022, to Dame Cressida Dick stepping aside as Commissioner.A number of recommendations for how accountability arrangements in London can be improved were also given. The Government is already taking steps to strengthen the accountability and transparency of police governance through the delivery of recommendations from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Review. We will continue to deliver recommendations from the PCC Review, including legislating where necessary and when parliamentary time allows.The Home Office will consider all of the findings Sir Tom has laid out and will bring forward any further changes once the findings and recommendations have been fully considered.

Passports and Visas: Applications

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of delays in processing British passport applications on the processing times for other types of visa applications.

Tom Pursglove: The response to the unprecedented demand for passports in 2022 has had no impact upon the processing times for UK visas.

Motor Vehicles: Crime

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the analysis of Home Office data showing that West Midlands Police solved 0.9% of thefts from cars reported to it in 2021, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of West Midlands Police in relation to reported vehicle theft offences.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is aware of the growing trend in vehicle-related thefts and we are determined to drive down vehicle crime in all parts of the country.We are working closely with the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Simms, the NPCC lead for Vehicle Crime, to reduce theft of and from vehicles across all forces in England and Wales. As part of ongoing work, a network of vehicle crime leads has been established, covering all forces, to ensure effective sharing of information about emerging trends in vehicle crime, best practice and expertise to better tackle regional issues.

Visas: English Language

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the length of time an English language test pass is valid for a visa application, in the context of passport application delays.

Tom Pursglove: We do not have any current plans to extend the length of time for which a Secure English Language Test (SELT) result is valid for the purpose of a visa application. It is important that people show they have the level of English required to work, study and integrate in the UK. An accurate and reliable SELT process ensures that people coming to work and study have the skills they need to complete the activity they are coming to the UK to undertake. Applicants can rely on the test result for 2 years from the date of the test, and can choose when they take the test before making their visa application.As part of our work to simplify the immigration rules, we have extended the ways an applicant can prove their English language ability other than providing a valid SELT certificate. They can now meet the language requirement by:Having a GCSE, A Level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, gained through study at a UK school that they began when they were under 18;Having a degree taught or researched in English;Their education provider self-assessing their English ability if they are applying for a student visa.Applicants also now only have to prove their language ability once, and can rely on having met the requirement in a previous visa application for future applications.

Passports: Applications

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the (a) number and (b) proportion of applications for British passports that have taken longer than 10 weeks to be processed in 2022.

Tom Pursglove: Between January and July 2022, 96.4% of the 5.3 million standard UK applications processed were completed within the published processing time of ten weeks.

Visas: Applications

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many family reunion applications waiting to be processed as of 2 September 2022 have exceeded the 60-day service standard for a decision; what the average processing time for those applications was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Pursglove: We are currently working outside the 60 day service standard for refugee family reunion applications and processing times are approximately double the expected service standard timeframe.We are working hard to recover our decision-making timescales and are looking to streamline our processes and secure additional resource to support this work.We will prioritise applications where there is a particularly urgent or compelling reason to do so.

Travellers: Anti-social Behaviour

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle anti-social behaviour arising from traveller sites; and what powers her Department have given to the police to help tackle illegal encampments.

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle unauthorised encampments established by travellers.

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour arising from traveller sites; and what powers local police forces hold to help tackle illegal encampments.

Jeremy Quin: This Government recognises the misery that unauthorised encampments can cause and that is why we have delivered on our manifesto commitment to give police the powers they need to tackle those people on unauthorised encampments who cause harm.Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which received Royal Assent in April, we strengthened the police’s powers to arrest and seize the vehicles and other property of those who set up unauthorised encampments and cause damage, disruption or distress.The measures also extend the powers of the police to direct trespassers to leave land.

Seasonal Workers: Ukraine

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2022 to Question 35931 on Seasonal Workers: Ukraine, how many and what proportion of the 2,914 seasonal workers have been issued with (a) biometric residence permits and (b) other proof that their leave has been extended under the (i) Seasonal Worker Ukrainian Extension Scheme and (ii) Ukrainian Extensions Scheme as on 2 September 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not routinely publish data on these matters and a manual trawl would be required to determine these figures which would not be cost effective.

Immigration Controls: Republic of Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 56 of her New Plan for Immigration: legal migration and border control strategy, whether requirements for British and Irish citizens to provide a passport on arrival in the UK apply to those citizens entering the UK via the Northern Ireland land border.

Tom Pursglove: As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys within the CTA, with no immigration controls on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. However, individuals arriving in the UK must continue to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework.Where required, most people who are not British or Irish citizens will need to show a valid passport on arrival if required by a Border Force Officer. The document must be valid for the whole time individuals are in the UK.

Asylum: Rwanda

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25th May 2022 to Question 5436, on Asylum: Rwanda, what criteria will be used to assess the mental and psychological health of persons seeking asylum when determining their eligibility for relocation to Rwanda.

Tom Pursglove: Decisions on whether to relocate individuals to Rwanda are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the individual circumstances at the time, and in accordance with the inadmissibility guidance available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inadmissibility-third-country-cases.Everyone considered for relocation will be screened and have access to legal advice, and nobody will be removed if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.No changes have been made to legal aid for asylum applications or appeals. Legal aid has been, and will always be, available in asylum cases. The Government is investing over £8m in legal aid through the Nationality and Borders Act, where legal aid will be available for potential victims of modern slavery and where individuals have been served with a priority removal notice.

Protest

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered further steps to effectively remove activists who have set up permanent protest camps in areas (a) where they are trespassing and (b) in Historic Environment Character Zones.

Jeremy Quin: There is a range of civil and criminal remedies available to remove trespassers from land. Where a criminal offence is committed, the police have the powers they need to respond.Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the government broadened the range of circumstances in which the police can use their powers to direct trespassers to leave. The broader powers capture all forms of damage, disruption and distress. This will improve the police’s abilities to respond to certain protest camps. Additionally, the Public Order Bill will criminalise tactics such as tunnelling, on both public and private land, which cause serious disruption as well as substantial damage to land.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many desk officers were working on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme in her Department as of 1 September 2022.

Tom Pursglove: We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to the situation in Afghanistan.

Immigration Controls

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the policy paper, New plan for immigration: legal migration and border control strategy, published by her Department on 20 July 2022, what estimate she has made of the potential costs to her Department of introducing the technologies proposed in the strategy; and what provisions have been made within her Department's current funding plans to meet those costs.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has secured funding up until 2024/25 to deliver on Government priorities via the departmental Spending Review.The commitments in the New Plan for Immigration: Legal Migration and Border Control Strategy will be funded through the Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) programme budget, which is included in the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP).This funding continues to support work to deliver transformational change for all those who use the immigration system and cross the border.

Naturalisation: Applications

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) what the average processing time is for a naturalisation decision from her Department and (b) how this compares to each year since 2016.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Department publishes data on naturalisation applications made and completed every quarter on the Gov.uk website.The most recent data set was published on 25 August 2022 and links to older migration transparency data and it can be found through the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data

Fire and Rescue Services: Finance

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to increase funding for the fire service in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) England.

Jeremy Quin: Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall, fire and rescue authorities in England will receive around £2.5 billion in 2022/23. Dorset & Wilshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £60.5m, an increase of £2.6m (4.5%) compared to 2021/22.Over the past 10 years (year ending December 2011– year ending December 2021) the total number of all incidents in England attended by fire and rescue services has fallen by 8% and the total number of fire incidents in England has fallen by 34%.

Visas: Applications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides for people who may lose their (a) jobs and (b) housing due to delays exceeding six months for the renewal of Leave to Remain visas.

Tom Pursglove: Under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, a person whose application for further leave is outstanding when their existing leave expires will have that leave extended until the application is either decided or withdrawn. Any conditions attached to the original leave will continue. No one should lose their job or their housing simply because of a delay in renewing their visa.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2022 to Question 38652 on Refugees: Afghanistan, what steps the Government is taking to work with local authorities across the UK to identify more opportunities for people being housed in bridging hotels to move into permanent accommodation.

Tom Pursglove: We continue to work at pace with over 350 local authority partners to meet the demand for housing and have moved – or are in the process of moving - around 7,400 people into homes since June 2021.Both the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Home Office have teams which engage with local authorities and Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) to encourage local authorities to pledge support.We are providing funding to local authorities who support people through the Afghan Citizen's Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme to the value of £20,520 per person, over 3 years, for resettlement and integration costs. There is also an additional housing costs fund available over three years to provide a top-up to help councils meet the costs of renting properties of three bedrooms or more in recognition of the need to find larger homes for families for those evacuated from Afghanistan.Local authorities and health partners who resettle families will also receive up to £4,500 per child for education, £850 for English language provision for adults requiring this support and £2,600 for healthcare.We are also reaching out to landlords, developers, and the wider private rented sector to encourage further offers of properties, either directly to local authorities or through our housing portal.

Safer Streets Fund: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial allocation has been awarded to West Midlands Police through the Safe Streets Fund.

Jeremy Quin: In total, since the inception of the Safer Streets Fund in 2020, £2,907,062 has been awarded to eight projects within the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s area across four rounds of the Fund. This includes projects in Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, which have been targeted at preventing and reducing neighbourhood crime, violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour.This funding has been used on a variety of interventions including fixed and deployable CCTV, street lighting, implementing a safe place scheme and an education and communication campaign aimed at helping to tackle violence against women and girls.

Visas: Applications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delays in processing visa applications on (a) people and (b) employers renewing Tier 2 visas.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine visa schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from other Government departments, including DWP and HMRC, have been surged into the department to help with Ukraine work and enable normal visa routes to return to normal service levels in due course.

Violence Reduction Unit

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support the Violence Reduction Unit to help support community initiatives aimed at preventing violence crime.

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle violent crime in Ilford.

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is providing the Metropolitan Police with extra resources to target violent offenders and remove knives and dangerous weapons from circulation.

Jeremy Quin: This Government is committed to tackling violent crime and making our streets safer, which is why we are giving the police and their partners the resources they need to do so.To support the prevention of violence in London, we have allocated the London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) c.£33.7m since 2019, including a c.£12.6m allocation for this financial year (2022/23). The VRU also received an additional investment of £5.5m in 2021/22 to deliver specific, highly targeted interventions to vulnerable young people.The London VRU delivers multiple initiatives that are projected to support over 5,300 young people in the capital next year. This includes locally delivered activity in all 32 boroughs, including Ilford’s borough of Redbridge, where the London VRU have used Home Office funding to make a £145,000 investment into the “Redbridge Inclusion and Alternative Activities Hub”, which targets support, mentoring, and diversion to those young people identified as being at risk of involvement in violent crime.We are also providing additional funding to enable the Metropolitan Police to increase enforcement activity where most violence occurs, through our Grip programme (previously known as Surge). The Metropolitan Police have been allocated approximately £50.9m over the last three years, including £7.9m for this financial year (2022/23) for Grip. Through this programme, the Metropolitan Police are delivering data-driven, targeted visible patrols to suppress violence where it is most concentrated.Grip and VRU funding are provided in addition to the commitment to increase the number of police officers in England and Wales by 20,000 by March 2023. As of 30 June 2022, the MPS has recruited an additional 2,952 uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 4,557 officers.

HM Passport Office: Lost Property

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of documents lost by the Passport Office in the last 6 months.

Tom Pursglove: The number of documents lost during the processing of passport applications in the last six months is 68.

HM Passport Office: Compensation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much compensation has Her Majesty’s Passport Office paid out due delays in producing passports between 1 May 2022 and 1 September 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The standard passport service does not have a guaranteed service time. Compensation would not usually be paid by virtue of an application taking longer to process than the published processing time, and customers are advised not to book without a passport that meets their travel needs. For customers of the urgent Fast Track and Digital Premium services, £18,290.32 was paid in compensation where applications have fallen outside of their published service timeframe between 1 May 2022 and 1 September 2022. For the Fast-Track and Premium applications, this equates to 469 refunds processed.

Asylum: Hotels

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the appropriateness of the use of hotel accommodation for asylum seeking families that include children with severe mental health issues or autism; and if she will review the use of hotel accommodation in such circumstances.

Tom Pursglove: Hotels are an appropriate means of providing adequate accommodation in order to meet our legal obligations to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. Our published asylum support healthcare needs and pregnancy dispersal policy sets out that if an applicant’s healthcare need requires the urgent provision of dispersal accommodation, the application for support should be prioritised wherever possible. This guidance also provides guidelines on dispersal for those with mental health issues.The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/496911/new_Healthcare_Needs_and_Pregnancy_Dispersal_Policy_EXTERNAL_v3_0.pdf.

Asylum: Housing

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help transition asylum seekers from hotel accommodation into permanent accommodation.

Tom Pursglove: Accommodation provided to asylum seekers is temporary whilst their claim for asylum is considered. When moving from initial and contingency accommodation into dispersed accommodation, service users are afforded with an induction to both their property and the local area. On 13 April we moved to full dispersal with every local authority in England, Scotland and Wales participating in asylum dispersal. Since April, accommodation providers have expanded procurement of beds in new areas. This move is hoped to end the use of contingency accommodation.

Police

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many warranted police officers are occupying police staff roles (a) within Lancashire Police and (b) nationwide as of 2 September 2022.

Jeremy Quin: Information on the number of police officers occupying police staff roles is not held centrally by the Home Office.The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size and composition of the police workforce in England and Wales on a biannual basis in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)The data tables accompanying the latest release (as at 31 March 2022) are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1093761/police-workforce-mar22-tables.ods.Tables F1 to F8 contain information on the number of police officers, police staff and Police Community Support Officers categorised by their policing function. These functions are categorised into frontline roles, frontline support roles and business support roles as described in Table F4. Table F5 shows, by Police Force Area, the number and proportion of officers carrying out frontline policing roles.The deployment of officers is an operational decision for Chief Constables.

Police: Recruitment

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the probability that the Government will recruit a net increase of 20,000 police officers by the end of March 2023, as set out in her Department's Police Uplift Programme.

Jeremy Quin: We are recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by March 2023, the biggest recruitment drive in decades.As part of the Police Officer Uplift Programme, the Home Office publishes a quarterly update on the number of officers in England and Wales, available here: Police Officer uplift statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The latest release, published on 27 July 2022 for data up to June 2022, showed that we remain on track to deliver 20,000 additional officers. As at 30 June 2022, 13,790 additional officers have been recruited from funding for the Police Uplift Programme representing 69% of the target.

Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has taken steps to enter into a youth mobility agreement with (a) the EU, (b) France, (c) Spain, (d) Italy and (e) Germany.

Tom Pursglove: We remain open to negotiating Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories including EU Member States. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK nationals with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur. Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.

Visas: Ukraine

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2022 to Question 9025 on Visas: Ukraine, for what reason her Department is not publishing data on the number of applications which have been made under the Ukrainian Extension Scheme; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of that scheme.

Tom Pursglove: The latest figures on the number of applications processed under the Ukraine Schemes, including the Ukraine Extension Scheme, can be found here: Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the expansion of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme for Labour Market Enforcement's resourcing and work plans.

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of seasonal workers working in Scotland by labour provider as of 1 August 2022.

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of farms in Scotland with workers employed on the seasonal workers visa scheme; and the number of farms in Scotland with each labour provider.

Tom Pursglove: The Government currently has no plans to further expand the Seasonal Worker immigration route.The Government has made no estimate of the number of seasonal workers working in Scotland by labour provider as of 1 August 2022, nor do we plan to make an estimate of the number of farms in Scotland with workers employed on the seasonal worker visa scheme; and the number of farms in Scotland with each labour provider. The UK operates a national immigration system and does not gather such information by devolved region.

Passports: Surrogacy

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to expedite British surrogacy babies' passports who are born overseas in the context of enabling them to be vaccinated and cared for by their family in a timely way.

Tom Pursglove: His Majesty’s Passport Office provides significant support to the commissioning parents of surrogate babies. In all applications, especially where there are safety concerns, HM Passport Office works in conjunction with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to prioritise the processing of applications, and to issue Emergency Travel Documents for travel to a safe location once checks have been satisfactorily completed.

Police: Hertfordshire

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to increase the number of police officers in Hertfordshire.

Jeremy Quin: We are recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by March 2023, the biggest recruitment drive in decades.As at 30 June 2022, Hertfordshire police has recruited 190 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 304 officers. As a result of their hard work and commitment police forces in England and Wales have recruited 13,790 additional officers, as at 30 June 2022, 69% of the 20,000 officer target.

Shamima Begum

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date the UK intelligence services were made aware of the involvement of Canadian Security Intelligence Services in facilitating Shamima Begum’s entry to Syria in 2015.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the date the Metropolitan Police Service were made aware of the involvement of Canadian Security Intelligence Services in facilitating Shamima Begum’s entry to Syria in 2015.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government was made aware of the involvement of Canadian Security Intelligence Services in facilitating Shamima Begum’s entry to Syria in 2015, prior to taking the decision to revoke her British citizenship in 2019.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reinstating Shamima Begum’s British Citizenship in the context of recent reports of the involvement of Canadian Security Intelligence Services in facilitating her entry to Syria in 2015.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has been aware of any other cases other than Shamima Begum whereby British children trying to join IS had their entry into Syria facilitated by foreign intelligence services.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on Five Eyes nations having been involved in facilitating British children’s entry into Syria for the purpose of joining IS.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her Canadian counterpart on reports of the involvement of Canadian Security Intelligence Services in facilitating Shamima Begum’s entry to Syria in 2015.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to launch an independent inquiry into the potential involvement of foreign intelligence services in facilitating British children’s entry into Syria for the purpose of joining IS.

Tom Tugendhat: We do not comment on individual cases, operational intelligence or security matters.There are currently no plans to launch an independent inquiry in response to media speculation.It would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of Ms Begum’s case whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.The Government’s top priority remains maintaining our national security and keeping the public safe.

HM Passport Office: ICT

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were employed by the Digital Application Processing development programme in HM Passport Office on 1 March 2022.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were employed by the Digital Application Processing development programme in HM Passport Office on 1 May 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The number of people engaged in developing the Digital Application Service as of 1 March 2022 was 68.

Immigration Controls: Republic of Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference her New Plan for Immigration: legal migration and border control strategy, what progress she has made on the proposed exemption to Electronic Travel Authorisation for residents of the Republic of Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her New Plan for Immigration: legal migration and border control strategy, published in July 2022, if she will publish further information on the application of the proposed policies on the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Tom Pursglove: As is currently the case, individuals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, will need to continue to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework, including the requirement to obtain an ETA when it is introduced. Visa nationals will continue to require a visa for the UK when travelling via Ireland, in order to lawfully enter the UK. Our position is similar to the requirement set by the Irish Government for visa nationals who wish to travel to Ireland from the UK, who must seek a visa to enter Ireland before doing so.However, as now, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the Common Travel Area, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. The UK remains committed to working with Ireland to consider whether a satisfactory data sharing agreement can be reached in order to exempt third country nationals who are resident in Ireland from the ETA requirement. If an agreement cannot be reached, the requirement will apply to all those travelling to the UK from Ireland.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

Tom Tugendhat: Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.

Economic Crime

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals on economic crime.

Tom Tugendhat: As set out in the Queen’s Speech, the Government is committed to bringing forward further legislation on economic crime. Building on the recently enacted Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, the upcoming Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will bear down further on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our financial system, strengthening the UK's economic security and reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK.This will be a joint Bill between Home Office and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The Bill will include reform of Companies House, reforms to prevent abuse of limited partnerships, additional powers to seize cryptoassets more quickly and easily, reforms to support more effective and targeted information sharing to tackle money laundering and economic crime, new intelligence gathering powers for law enforcement and removing regulatory burdens on businesses.We are preparing the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill at pace and expect it to be introduced soon.

HM Passport Office: Telephone Services

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the passport advice line.

Tom Pursglove: The Passport Adviceline continues to be an integral part of the wider passport service, helping to ensure that customer queries are resolved as quickly as possible. Between January and August this year, approximately 3 million calls were answered by the Passport Adviceline.

Anti-social Behaviour

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing standardised national measuring of levels of anti-social behaviour.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of attendees at Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board meetings held since its establishment.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) civil, (b) statutory and (c) criminal powers are available to relevant agencies to support the delivery of the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board principles, published on 20 July 2022.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders in the (a) public and (b) private sectors on encouraging the use of the community trigger in relation to anti-social behaviour in local authorities.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of meetings held by the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board since its establishment.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish (a) working, (b) background, (c) justification and (d) other documents produced by her Department as part of the development of the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board's principles.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there will be sanctions against (a) Police forces, (b) local authorities, (c) relevant agencies and (d) individuals that do not follow the Anti-social Behaviour principles, published on 20 July 2022.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the minutes of the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board's meetings held since its establishment.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether additional resources have been provided to support the delivery of the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board's principles, published on 20 July 2022.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which (a) public bodies, (b) private bodies and (c) individuals were consulted on the development of the Anti-social behaviour principles.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to encourage the use of the community trigger in relation to anti-social behaviour.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to introduce standardised national measuring of levels of anti-social behaviour.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department does not measure levels of anti-social behaviour in a standardised national format.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). As set out in the Beating Crime Plan, we are working with local areas to ensure the powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, including the Community Trigger, are being implemented effectively and have recently updated Home Office statutory guidance, which supports local areas to make effective use of the powers. The Home Office chairs the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners from relevant bodies across policing, local government and NGOs, and other Government departments, to discuss any arising ASB issues and share best practice. We do not routinely publish the dates of meetings, minutes nor names of those who attend this board. We have recently published multi-agency principles which seek to describe a consistent approach to addressing ASB in local communities. The principles are intended to act as a guide in seeking to deliver the best possible outcomes for victims of ASB and we encourage local assessment on how processes and practices compare to the standard outlined in the principles. The principles were drafted and endorsed by the ASB Strategic Board who also wrote out to relevant organisations including police forces, local authorities and housing associations for feedback on the draft principles. We have provided partners with a Q&A document to support implementation of the ASB Principles. In line with usual practice, we do not propose to publish drafts of documents or other material prepared as part of the development of the Principles. No additional funding will be available for implementing the principles however, the Safer Streets Fund aims to support local areas in preventing and tackling neighbourhood crime, ASB and violence against women and girls. Bidding for the fourth round has now closed but we look forward to seeing how relevant successful projects incorporate the principles into their activity. We monitor the national statistics on ASB through the police recorded crime incident data and the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which presents people’s perception of the levels of ASB. Given the localised nature of ASB, we do not currently plan to introduce standardised national measuring of levels of ASB, however the multi-agency principles included local reporting and referral pathways. Recommendations from Part Two of the Police and Crime Commissioner Review were published on Monday 7 March 2022. The overall package strengthens and expands the role of PCCs. We want to ensure that PCCs have sufficient tools and levers to more effectively scrutinise and challenge partnership activity on ASB. To do this, PCCs should be able to bring partners together on ASB, direct local ASB strategy and request local data on ASB.

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times did the Home Office not accept and implement the recommendation of the independent person following a Tier 2 review decision of a Windrush Compensation Claim, in each month from April 2019 to September 2022.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times did the Home Office not accept and implement the recommendation of a Senior Reviewer following a Tier 1 review decision of a Windrush Compensation Claim, in each month from April 2019 to September 2022.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Windrush Compensation Scheme claimants rejected the outcome of a Tier 1 review decision in each month from April 2019 to September 2022.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Windrush Compensation Scheme claimants rejected the outcome of a Tier 2 review decision in each month from April 2019 to September 2022.

Tom Pursglove: From April 2019 to date, the Windrush Compensation Scheme has accepted and implemented all recommendations made by the Independent Adjudicator, following Tier 2 review decisions.From April 2019 to date, the Windrush Compensation Scheme has accepted and implemented all recommendations made by an internal independent person who had not previously been involved in the claim, following a Tier 1 review.Windrush Compensation Scheme published data shows that between April 2019 and July 2022, 188 individuals submitted a Tier 2 review request following a Tier 1 review decision.A full breakdown including dates can be found at tab WCS_09: Transparency Data.The Adjudicator’s Office is a separate organisation, independent of the Home Office. More information about how the Adjudicator’s Office administers an independent Tier 2 review of Windrush Compensation Scheme decisions is available here.If an individual remains dissatisfied with the service or decision of the Adjudicator’s Office, even where they choose to accept that Tier 2 decision, they can ask their MP to send their review request or complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.When the Ombudsman receives a complaint, they will initially conduct a primary investigation and where further information is required, the Ombudsman may launch a full investigation.Up to the end of August 2022, the Ombudsman had investigated 14 cases relating to Tier 2 reviews. All investigations up to December 2021 have been closed. 7 claims received from January 2022 onwards remain open. No complaints relating to Tier 2 review outcomes have progressed to a full investigation.

Donald Trump

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has taken steps to establish if material taken from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home by the FBI relates to the national security of the UK.

Tom Tugendhat: In line with the long standing policy of successive Governments we do not comment on national security matters.

HM Passport Office: Telephone Services

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken steps to shorten the waiting times for people who call the passport advice line.

Tom Pursglove: His Majesty’s Passport Office has worked closely with Teleperformance to improve waiting times for callers to the Passport Adviceline. In August, the average wait time for a caller was 6 seconds.

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to ensure age checks are being conducted on the sale of alcohol by (a) alcohol home delivery services and (b) other online retailers.

Jeremy Quin: The Licensing Act (2003) regulates the sale of alcohol. It sets out a number of licensing objectives, one of which is the protection of children from harm. This objective informs all licensing authorities’ decisions and all licensed premises should promote it. It is illegal to sell age-restricted products to underage consumers whether that is in person or the sales are online, including home delivery. We expect all retailers to have suitable policies in place to ensure this is the case. Enforcement of the Licensing Act is locally led. The Act provides Local Authorities with a range of powers to monitor and enforce adherence to all licensing objectives, including instances where underage sales may be occurring. The Government is considering what further steps could be taken to tackle underage sales.

Fraud: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the risk of fraud to residents of Solihull constituency.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. Tackling fraud requires a unified and co-ordinated response from government, law enforcement and the private sector to better protect the public and businesses from fraud, reduce the impact of fraud on victims, and increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters. This is why, later this year, we will publish a new strategy to address the threat of fraud.Over the next three years the Spending Review has allocated £400 million to tackle economic crime, including fraud. This is in addition to the £63 million allocated last year.We are also working to improve the victim support system to ensure everyone receives the support they need to prevent further victimisation. The National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) provides an additional level of support for people who report a fraud to Action Fraud. West Midlands Police are accessing the level 2 service, meaning constituents in Solihull have access to an enhanced service.

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to help ensure age checks are being conducted on the sale of alcohol by (a) alcohol home delivery services and (b) other online retailers.

Jeremy Quin: The Licensing Act (2003) regulates the sale of alcohol. It sets out a number of licensing objectives, one of which is the protection of children from harm. This objective informs all licensing authorities’ decisions and all licensed premises should promote it. It is illegal to sell age-restricted products to underage consumers whether that is in person or the sales are online, including home delivery. We expect all retailers to have suitable policies in place to ensure this is the case.Enforcement of the Licensing Act is locally led. The Act provides Local Authorities with a range of powers to monitor and enforce adherence to all licensing objectives, including instances where underage sales may be occurring. The Government is considering what further steps could be taken to tackle underage sales.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of businesses investigated as part of Operation Tacit were visited by inspectors in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022; and how many and what proportion of these visits led to the imposition of (i) fines and (ii) other penalties for non compliance.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many businesses investigated as part of Operation Tacit were visited by inspectors during (a) 2021 and (b) 2022; and how many and what proportion of such visits led to the imposition of (i) fines and (ii) other penalties for non-compliance.

Amanda Solloway: Exploiting vulnerable workers for commercial gain is despicable and this Government will not stand for it. Operation TACIT was set-up to investigate allegations of widespread exploitation and modern slavery in Leicester, and to take appropriate action where non-compliance was found.To date (7th September 2022), a total of 484 visits have been undertaken at commercial premises, as part of Operation TACIT; 219 of these visits took place in 2021 and 76 in 2022, the remainder were done in 2020. All investigations which suggest non-compliance by a given business have been followed up with visits from relevant enforcement bodies.Some issues were uncovered such as health and safety breaches, illegal working and risk of underpayment of national minimum wage. The Government does not tolerate labour market non-compliance: taskforce partners have taken appropriate action to deal with any exploitation, non-compliance and breaches of the law where found. Of those premises visited, enforcement action of some kind was taken against 117 (roughly 24% of all visits) and the Government will continue to take appropriate action against unscrupulous employers and individuals who exploit workers

Home Office: Termination of Employment

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members of staff have left her Department since 12 December 2019.

Amanda Solloway: The number of leavers of the Home Office is published annually as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES).Civil Service statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) – Tables 42 and 43

Immigration: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2022 to Question 13846 on Immigration: Northern Ireland, whether Ukrainian nationals who arrived in Ireland and subsequently enter the UK for six-months Leave Outside the Immigration Rules are (a)  eligible to apply to the Ukraine Extension Scheme and (b) will not be deemed in breach of immigration controls in the future.

Tom Pursglove: Those who want to come to the UK should not travel before they have made an application to one of the two Ukraine visa schemes which can be applied for from abroad, and received confirmation that their application has been granted.However, we recognise that some individuals will have already travelled to the UK via Ireland realising this in the turmoil of the war unfolding in Ukraine without making a prior application or receiving confirmation. Recognising this, they will be able to apply for six-months’ leave outside of the Immigration Rules, with no restrictions on their access to work, benefits and services. Those who arrived this way between 1 January 2022 and 18 March 2022 are able to apply for the Ukraine Extension Scheme, which provides a 36 month visa with all rights and benefits associated with the other two Ukraine schemes.

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made towards the appointment of a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner following the interviews of candidates for the role which took place in April 2022; and what her planned timetable is for making a final decision on a new appointee for that role.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the length of time taken to appoint a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner on the effectiveness of efforts to tackle modern slavery in the UK.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government's policy is on making revisions to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 before or after the appointment of a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

Amanda Solloway: The role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) as set out in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and the identification of victims.The process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578498/governance_code_on_public_appointments_16_12_2016.pdfA decision on the appointment is under consideration and an announcement will follow in due course.My Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary will set out the Government’s plans for modern slavery legislation in due course. We will engage with the new IASC on the legislation following their appointment.The Government continues to work with a range of partners to shape its response to modern slavery and will look forward to working with the new IASC when appointed.

Slavery

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allow pre-legislative scrutiny of the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill announced in the Queen's Speech 2022.

Amanda Solloway: There are no current plans to publish in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny the Modern Slavery Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech in May.

Electronic Funds Transfer: Fraud

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of push payment fraud there have been in each of the last five years.

Tom Tugendhat: UK Finance publish figures on the number of incidents of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud for the UK each year. In 2021, UK Finance recorded 195,996 cases of APP, a 27% increase from 2020. In 2020, UK Finance recorded 154,614 incidents of APP fraud (data updated 26/08/2022). Figures for years prior to 2020 are not available as these are not directly comparable with current data due to changes in the manner in which APP losses are identified and reported. Please also note UK Finance figures are for the UK and include personal and non-personal account reports.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letters sent to her by the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on 21st July 2022 and on 1st August 2022 on behalf of his constituent Ms Iles in relation to a visa under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will reply to the letters sent to her by the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on 12thMay 2022,9th June 2022 and 12th July 2022 on behalf of his constituent Mr Walton in relation to a passport renewal.

Tom Pursglove: I apologise for the delay. UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management team responded as detailed below:PQ 45456 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0387235/22 – The Home Office responded on 29 August 2022.PQ 45479 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0342406/22 – The Home Office responded on 5 September 2022.

Members: Correspondence

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 8 June 2022, reference AK54051.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Manchester Gorton of (a) 20 April, (b) 22 July and (c) 19 August 2022 with reference AK53453.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Manchester Gorton of (a) 21 April, (b) 25 May, (c) 15 July, (d) 4 August and (e) 19 August 2022 with reference AK52805.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Manchester Gorton of (a) 20 April, (b) 14 July, (c) 28 July, (d) 5 August and (e) 19 August 2022 with reference AK52688.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Manchester Gorton reference AK46217 of (a) 14 April, (b) 1 June, (c) 22 July and (e) 24 August 2022.

Tom Pursglove: I apologise for the delay. UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management team responded as detailed below:PQ 45583 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0333779/22 – The Home Office responded on 31 August 2022.PQ 46015 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0314584/22 – The Home Office responded on 26 August 2022.PQ 46016 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0286488/22 – The Home Office responded on 8 June 2022PQ 46017 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0289514/22 – The Home Office responded on 30 August 2022PQ 46018 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0285270/22 – The Home Office responded on 5 September 2022

HM Passport Office: Telephone Services

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the customer service provided by Teleperformance, the company contracted to deliver the passport advice line.

Tom Pursglove: Teleperformance have been responding to a formal rectification plan, and the service has significantly improved in response. In August, 98.73% of calls were answered within 30 seconds, exceeding the required service level of 80%.

Asylum: Applications

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims were undecided (a) at the end of 2019 and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on asylum and resettlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision or further review are published in table Asy_D03 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to 30 June 2022. Data as at 30 September 2022 is set to be published on the 24 November 2022.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Visas: Refugees

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to expediate decisions on family reunion visas over the 24 week service standard.

Tom Pursglove: We are currently working outside the 60 day service standard for refugee family reunion applications and processing times are approximately double the expected service standard timeframe.We are working hard to recover our decision-making timescales and are looking to streamline our processes and secure additional resource to support this work.We will prioritise applications where there is a particularly urgent or compelling reason to do so.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is possible for EU Settlement Scheme applicants whose applications are significantly delayed to pay retrospectively to escalate the decision.

Tom Pursglove: The EU Settlement Scheme application route is a fee free route and does not have a priority service option. All applications are treated equally and prioritised in date of receipt order, however there may be a delay if the application is complex.If a customer who has applied under this route wishes to escalate their case due to urgent and compassionate reasons, then they can contact the Resolution Centre helpline. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Each expedite request will be treated on its own merits and all evidence regarding the customer’s particular circumstances assessed in the round before any request is agreed to.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 7 July 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on his constituent Andrew Wright.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the email from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton sent to the Urgent Queries inbox on 11 July 2022 regarding Mehdi Helmiouskoui.

Tom Pursglove: I apologise for the delay. UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management team responded as detailed below:PQ 46008 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0385930/22 – The Home Office responded on 5 September 2022.PQ 46012 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0390758/22 – The Home Office responded on 5 September 2022.

Migrant Help

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has any plans to increase Migrant Help’s access to relevant information and data from other branches of the Home Office which may assist in its efficiency.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office currently shares all relevant data with Migrant Help in order for them to carry out their contractual requirements, through a secure portal. In addition, regular contract governance forums provide a vehicle by which Migrant Help and the Home Office can make improvements to service delivery, including improvement to data sharing.The Home Office has no plans to alter any data sharing arrangements at this time.

Care Workers: Visas

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have entered the UK on the new Health and Care Visa since it was introduced in 2020 as (a) Care Workers and Home Carers and (b) Senior Care Workers.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of granted applications regarding the Health and Care visa are published in table Vis_D02 of the entry clearance visas applications and outcomes dataset.We do not currently publish figures on individual job roles applied for under the visa.

Passports: British National (Overseas)

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding eligibility for British National (Overseas) Passports to British National (Overseas) visa holders who do not hold such passports, in order to allow them to receive British consular support when abroad and to be considered as Commonwealth citizens.

Tom Pursglove: A person is eligible for a British passport if HMPO can confirm their nationality and identity. Only British nationals are eligible for British passports.Registrations for BN(O) status closed on 1 July 1997 and, as such, no new applications can now be made.We have no plans to allow BN(O) status to be acquired by descendants of BN(O) status holders or people who have BN(O) visas. BN(O) status cannot be passed on to children.British National (Overseas) visa holders are eligible to apply for British citizenship if they can meet the requirements, including having resided in the UK for a minimum period and being free from immigration control at the time of their application.

Passports: Applications

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications were upgraded to the fast-track service due to a failure to maintain the ten week service standard in each month since January 2022.

Tom Pursglove: In 2022, the data for the number of applications upgraded to the Fast Track service from a standard application is not held in a reportable format.An upgrade to the Fast Track service will only occur where the applicant needs a passport sooner than ten weeks. Where His Majesty’s Passport Office received a standard UK application more than ten weeks previously, the application will be expedited at no additional cost.

Dublin Regulations

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many bilateral agreements she has negotiated and concluded with member states to replace former arrangements that existed under the Dublin III Regulation; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Pursglove: The UK is in discussions regarding the returns of asylum seekers to European Member States. It would not be appropriate to provide a commentary on these negotiations.Work is underway to secure appropriate return agreements with safe countries. Returns may also be agreed with partner countries on a case-by-case basis without formal agreements. This happened historically, outside of the former Dublin arrangements, and will continue to be part of the approach we apply.Our inadmissibility provisions in the Immigration Rules give us the legal basis to declare an asylum claim as inadmissible where a person has a connection to, or has passed through, a safe country. The first returns on inadmissible grounds have been successfully carried out.

Passports: Fraud

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of suspected fraud and related offences were identified by HM Passport Office in each year since 2010; and how many such cases led to enforcement action by the relevant authorities.

Tom Pursglove: HM Passport Office only holds data in the current format since 2014/15. The number of cases of confirmed fraud since the financial year 2014/15 are provided in the table below. The data is drawn from management information.The figures for Fraudulently Obtained Genuine (FOG) passports are for those which were identified as having been obtained fraudulently following their issue. They were detected in the financial year shown, but the passport was not necessarily issued in that year and may have been still valid or expired.The pre-issue fraud figure details those applications which were confirmed as fraudulent prior to a passport being issued.HM Passport Office passes information about confirmed fraud to the police and other enforcement agencies, but holds no data on cases which led to enforcement action by the relevant authorities.Financial yearFOG detectionsPre-issue fraud2014/155482522015/161,0135952016/1755911072017/1851512502018/194884892019/207424542020/214362442021/22780268

Undocumented Migrants

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the volume of illegal immigration since December 2021.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on the number of people recorded being detected on, or shortly after, arrival to the UK on various routes in the Irregular Migration to the UK quarterly report. The latest data on selected methods of entry are published in table Irr_01 of the Irregular migration to the UK data tables. The latest data go up to the end of June 2022.These statistics should not be used to infer the size of the irregular population in the UK, nor the total number of people entering the UK irregularly. For a number of reasons, it is not possible to know the exact size of the irregular population, or the number entering irregularly, and so we have not produced any official estimates for this number.This is because:some irregular migrants will successfully evade border controls and remain in the UK undetectedsome migrants who enter the UK regularly may subsequently become ‘irregular’ migrants – for example if they overstay a visa (it should be noted that there are a number of ways in which a migrant’s departure from the UK may legitimately not be recorded on the system)the data sources available count the number of recorded detections - in some instances the same person may be detected multiple times, either on the same route or across different routes (such individuals will be counted multiple times in the statistics)some migrants who enter the UK irregularly may subsequently become ‘regular’ migrants – for example, following a successful asylum applicationFigures on detections may be impacted by the levels of operational activity at the border and overseas, so should not be used to infer levels of irregular migration. Changes in detection could be a result of changes in operational activity, as well as changes in the number of people attempting to enter the UK irregularly and recording practices.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Skilled Worker visas are live as of 2 September 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of applications and granted applications of the Skilled Worker visa are published in tables Vis_D01 and Vis_D02 of the entry clearance visas applications and outcomes dataset, respectively.

Visas: Applications

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for British citizenship her Department has refused in each year since December 2019.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes UK data on applications, grants, and refusals of British Nationality in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.Data on applications and refusals of British Citizenship, by year, are published in table Cit_01 of the Citizenship summary tables dataset. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2022. Data up to September 2022 will be published on 24 November 2022.

Visas: Voluntary Work

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for Tier 5 Visas were received from (a) EU and (b) non-EU nationals seeking to volunteer for charities in the UK as international volunteers in (i) 2020-21 and (ii) 2021-22.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) EU and (b) non-EU nationals were granted Tier 5 Visas to volunteer for charities in the UK as international volunteers in (i) 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of applications and the number of granted applications regarding Temporary Work – Charity Worker visas (previously Tier 5) are published in tables Vis_D01 and Vis_D02 of the entry clearance visas applications and outcomes dataset, respectively. This data is broken down by nationality and region, including an EU breakdown.Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2022.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of small boat crossings in the English Channel between 6 September 2022 and 1 January 2023.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not make forecasts of numbers crossing, given the multiplicity of variables involved. However, in 2021 and 2022 a number of estimations were calculated to help ensure operational plans took account of potential levels of crossings. This included the development of best, central, and reasonable worst case scenarios for the numbers crossing by small boat. No likelihood or probability was attached to these scenarios.

Passports: Fraud

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members of staff within HM Passport Office are working primarily on fraud and fraud-related issues as of 2 September 2022; and how many members of staff worked primarily on those issues on average in each year since 2010.

Tom Pursglove: His Majesty’s Passport Office’s staffing data is not subdivided to identify those working primarily on fraud and fraud-related issues, with all staff involved in the processing of passport applications having a responsibility for the prevention and detection of attempted passport fraud.

HM Passport Office: Telephone Services

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that staff operating the passport advice line receive adequate training.

Tom Pursglove: Teleperformance, who operate the Passport Adviceline, carry out a full training programme for all call agents. The training materials used are subject to review and approval by His Majesty’s Passport Office.

Visas: Applications

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the standard processing time for (a) Spouse, (b) Fiancé, and (c) Unmarried Partner visas.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine visa schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from other Government departments, including DWP and HMRC, have been surged into the department to help with Ukraine work and enable normal visa routes to return to normal service levels in due course.

Visas: Married People

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve processing times for spousal and partner visa applications.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine visa schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from other Government departments, including DWP and HMRC, have been surged into the department to help with Ukraine work and enable normal visa routes to return to normal service levels in due course.

Refugees: Ukraine

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure Ukrainian refugees have safe access routes to the UK.

Tom Pursglove: The Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be applied for online from abroad and the Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Extension Scheme can be applied for from within the UK. The UK Government rapidly created three Ukraine visa schemes to support Ukrainians who wish to seek refuge in the UK or extend their existing stay here, each for a 3 year period with full access to benefits and the right to work and rent.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghans nationals have arrived in the UK under Pathway 2 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme as of 31 August 2022.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan nationals he estimates will be resettled in the UK under Pathway 2 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and what his Department's anticipated timeline is for their arrival in the UK.

Tom Pursglove: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) launched in January, and this will provide up to 20,000 women, children, and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle and re-build their lives in the UK over the coming years.The ACRS is not application-based. Instead, eligible individuals will be prioritised and referred for resettlement to the UK through one of three referral pathways. Under ACRS Pathway 2, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will refer refugees - who have already fled Afghanistan - for resettlement to the UK. Those referred will be assessed for resettlement by the UNHCR, using their established processes. We have now begun to receive the first referrals for resettlement under Pathway 2 of the ACRS – which opened in June – from the UNHCR. It is anticipated that we will receive referrals for up to 2,000 refugees during the first year of this pathway, although this number will be kept under review – and we look forward to welcoming the first new arrivals under this pathway in due course. Further information on UNHCR referrals is available at: UNHCR UK Information and Links on Afghanistan Situation - UNHCR United Kingdom

Asylum: Hotels

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether visitors to the Ramada Hotel, The Square, Solihull, will be able to use (a) the bowls green and (b) other facilities under the terms of the commercial agreement made between her Department and Subhash Gulati Group relating to the use of that hotel.

Tom Pursglove: The use of hotels is a contingency measure, in order to meet our statutory obligation to house asylum seekers whilst we consider their claim for international protection. The Home Office has continued to see a higher than anticipated intake during recent months, which has meant continued demand for asylum support and accommodation services, which has resulted in service users being accommodated in hotels for longer than we had envisioned. We are however taking steps to resolve this and bring an end to hotel use as contingency accommodation. The asylum accommodation service providers identify suitable properties and ensure that they conform to the accommodation standards and provision set out in Schedule 2 of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC). One of those provisions are exclusive use of the hotel. The hotel is aware that the bowling club have expressed an interest in returning to the hotel to play, and the hotel have taken the position that it would not be possible for the bowls team to continue to play at the grounds. The grounds are in the centre of the hotel grounds, surrounded by rooms. In order for the participants to be able to play they would have to enter the hotel by either walking through the dining area where service users are located for meals and recreational time, or they would come in through the main entrance and walk along the main corridor which leads to the dining area and then onto the green. It would be difficult for the hotel and our providers housing officers to control who the individuals are, and control and monitor any events that may occur during the games, whilst ensuring the safety and wellbeing of customers.

Asylum: Applications

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that asylum seekers awaiting a decision on an asylum application are not drawn into modern slavery.

Tom Pursglove: We understand many asylum seekers have experienced challenging circumstances when making their way to the UK and we take our responsibility towards vulnerable asylum seekers seriously, ensuring that staff are trained to identify and support the most vulnerable as they make their way through their asylum journey. A key objective of the asylum process is to create a secure and positive environment that supports claimants to disclose as much relevant information as possible, including medical conditions, disabilities, or experience of trauma that may make the person vulnerable.Asylum claimants are directly asked about their physical and mental health throughout the asylum process. If the responses provided, or the claimant’s general demeanour, indicate that they may be a victim of trauma, this information is recorded to ensure appropriate onward routing and management. Depending on the extent of their vulnerability, they may also make a referral to the Asylum Safeguarding Hub.We work closely with authorities with statutory responsibility for vulnerable asylum seekers, including local authorities and medical practitioners. We make referrals to those agencies where there is a clear need and encourage all asylum seekers to access mainstream healthcare, including mental health provision as appropriate.

Visas: Applications

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of outstanding administrative reviews are without a decision more than six months after application as of 2 September 2022.

Tom Pursglove: Information on the age profile of outstanding administrative reviews is not held centrally and is not currently captured in a publishable form.Current timescales for processing administrative review applications are set out at Ask for a visa administrative review: If you're in the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), which states: “Currently, it can take 6 months or more to receive the result of the administrative review. If you haven’t had a decision on your application within 3 months, the Home Office will contact you with an update.”

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of people reaching the UK via the English Channel in small boats since 2019.

Tom Pursglove: These dangerous and unnecessary crossings are facilitated by people smugglers, putting profits above the lives of vulnerable people. Since 2019, these organised criminal groups have expanded their tactics covering a wider stretch of French coastline, launching over longer timeframes and increasing crossing attempts in riskier weather conditions.We are determined to tackle illegal migration and to render small boat crossings unviable. Our Nationality and Borders Act is breaking criminals’ business model. We have introduced tougher sentences for facilitators of illegal entry and are making arrests under the Act.This year, over 19,000 crossing attempts have been prevented – around 85% more than to this point in 2021. Our work with the French and our Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda reflects the fact that this is an international problem requiring international solutions.

Roads: Accidents

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the effectiveness of the police investigating road traffic accidents involving drivers of vehicles registered abroad.

Jeremy Quin: The Government has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of the police investigating road traffic accidents involving drivers of vehicles registered abroad. Enforcement of road traffic legislation and the investigation of road traffic accidents are operational matters for the police, however all drivers on UK roads are subject to the same legislation.

Visas: Refugees

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of family reunion visa decisions are being made within the 24 week service standard.

Tom Pursglove: We are currently working outside the 60 day service standard for refugee family reunion applications and processing times are approximately double the expected service standard timeframe.We are working hard to recover our decision-making timescales and are looking to streamline our processes and secure additional resource to support this work.We will prioritise applications where there is a particularly urgent or compelling reason to do so.

Seasonal Workers: Indonesia

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with officials from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on recent reports of abusive recruitment practices in relation to Indonesian nationals applying for seasonal work visas in the UK.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of recent reports of abusive practices in relation to overseas recruitment for seasonal workers in the UK.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review, including the welfare of participating overseas workers.The Government is aware of the allegations of unlawful fees being charged to seasonal workers by overseas recruitment agents. This matter is under active investigation by the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority – the relevant regulatory body. It is not appropriate for Government Ministers to comment on ongoing investigations.

Visas: Africa

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for (a) all visa applications and (b) visa applications from (i) Zimbabwe, (ii) Namibia, (iii) Zambia, (iv) Mozambique, (v) Togo and (vi) Gabon.

Tom Pursglove: Average waiting times are not published for (i) Zimbabwe, (ii) Namibia, (iii) Zambia, (iv) Mozambique, (v) Togo and (vi) Gabon. To capture the requested data would incur a disproportionate cost. The processing times for visas can be found on the GOV.uk webpage:Out of country Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)In country Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The Home Office’s performance against its service standard by nationality can be found in our transparency data: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Migrant Workers: Tourism

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the policy paper, New plan for immigration: legal migration and border control strategy, published by her Department on 20 July 2022, what estimate she has made of the potential costs to businesses in the tourism sector of implementing the proposed changes outlined in paragraphs 55-62 of that strategy.

Tom Pursglove: The introduction of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will improve the security of the UK border. It also provides a multitude of opportunities to better facilitate tourism, business visits and improve passenger experience. By knowing more about people in advance of travel, our ambition is to increase automation of passenger clearance at the border, improving the end-to-end customer journey, and promoting the UK as a top destination to do business and for tourism. The introduction of the ETA scheme is in line with the system that already exists in other countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The EU is also developing a similar system, (European Travel Information and Authorisation System - ETIAS), for those third country nationals who do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area, which will include UK citizens.

Migrant Workers: Agriculture

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the recruitment of overseas workers as farming machinery operatives; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a temporary visa scheme for these workers modelled on the temporary visa scheme for HGV drivers.

Tom Pursglove: The Government has no plans to introduce a general immigration route allowing recruitment at or near the minimum wage, with relatively short work-based training requirements, nor will there be another similar visa concession to the HGV temporary scheme. We have no plans to extend the skills threshold below RQF level 3 unless there are truly exceptional circumstances, such as adding care workers to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). The Government has recently commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a review of the SOL. We expect the MAC will shortly launch its call for evidence and we encourage interested stakeholders to respond. Our immigration system is not aiming to replicate the free movement which previously existed between the UK and the EU. The Government recognises some businesses are needing to adjust, but investment and development of the UK’s domestic labour force should take priority, rather than seeing cheap migrant labour as the solution to recruitment difficulties. Beyond the Points Based System is a wide labour market, which includes UK workers and migrants with general work rights. Businesses should therefore engage with the Department for Work and Pensions in the first instance about the support they can provide.

Home Office: Sports

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on the cost of the 69th Sport’s Day on 29 July 2022.

Amanda Solloway: The annual Home Office Sports Day is organised by the Home Office Sports and Social Association (“ETHOS”). This is a staff network group, not a Home Office managed unit.Civil Servants pay a monthly subscription to the Civil Service Sports Council (“CSSC”) or pay ETHOS a yearly subscription directly. ETHOS is funded by annual grants from the CSSC and direct funding from members.As such no funding was provided by the Home Office for the 69th Annual Sports Day on the 29th July 2022.For staff outside of London and Gatwick, the Home Office paid for some staff to travel to the event in line with existing arrangements.

Home Office: India

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department were based permanently in (a) Gujarat, (b) Delhi and (c) other states in India in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Pursglove: Please find below a table for the number of staff located in India.  DelhiOther2018316822019328682020324542021307020223180Source : Metis HO-HR database

London Policing College: China

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance by her Department entitled Overseas Business Risk: China, published on 11 March 2022, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the London Policing College's partnership with Hunan Police Academy on unintentionally facilitating or being otherwise complicit in human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Jeremy Quin: In 2019, the British Council awarded funding to the London Policing College (LPC) as part of a regional programme to improve international teaching standards in police education in target countries. This included efforts to reduce human rights violations. The London Policing College is an external, private company.The British Council have confirmed that they have never funded any activities involving Xinjiang security bodies and LPC have confirmed that no Xinjiang security bodies were involved in the programme. LPC have never engaged with institutions of any nature from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and they have now ceased all programme partnerships with China.

Treasury

First Time Buyers: Mortgages

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging mortgage lenders to use rental payments as proof of affordability for younger people applying for a mortgage to purchase a first home.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is committed to helping as many first-time buyers as possible get onto the housing ladder and agrees that a history of paying rent should be able to help with this. In 2017, the Government launched the Rent Recognition Challenge: a £2 million competition challenging the UK’s world-leading tech firms to develop innovative applications to enable tenants to record and share their rental payment data with lenders and credit reference agencies. The three winners of the challenge (CreditLadder, Bud and RentalStep) are now all using technology to verify and record tenants’ rental payments. Since launching their rent recognition service, CreditLadder has recorded over £600 million in users’ rental payments. The Government will continue to work with mortgage lenders and others to encourage rent track record is used in lending decisions.

Pensions: Regulation

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment the Government has carried out on the impact of Solvency II reforms on pensions.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is committed to ensuring that the insurance regime remains a safe home for people’s pensions. As well as that, UK insurers remain internationally competitive. The Treasury's consultation on the prudential regulatory regime for insurers known as Solvency II closed on 21 July 2022. It included questions seeking evidence of the impact reforms would have on policyholder protection and annuity prices as well as other objectives, including investment for growth. The Government will set out its assessment of this evidence when it publishes a response to the consultation later this calendar year. The Solvency II consultation document can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/solvency-ii-review-consultation

Cash Dispensing

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will carry out regular assessments of (a) the adequacy of how the ATM network is funded and (b) the impact of the levels of funding of the ATM network on free access to cash.

Andrew Griffith: The Government recognises that cash will remain an important part of daily life for millions of people across the UK for many more years. Decisions regarding the operation and funding arrangements of the ATM network are taken by LINK (the scheme that runs the UK's largest ATM network). LINK has commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs and is held to account against these commitments by the Payment Systems Regulator. LINK has committed to protect free-to-use ATMs more than one kilometre away from the next nearest free ATM or Post Office, and free access to cash on high streets (where there is a cluster of five or more retailers) that do not have a free-to-use ATM or a Post Office counter within one kilometre. The Government has introduced legislation to protect access to cash as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill. The Bill will establish the Financial Conduct Authority as the lead regulator for cash access and provide it with appropriate powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities. The powers provided to the FCA will allow it to determine standards to ensure reasonable access, reflecting factors such as cost for end users.

Financial Services: Regulation

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help ensure the independence of financial services regulators.

Andrew Griffith: The legislative framework underpinning financial services regulation in the UK provides for the regulators to be independent of government in their operational decisions. Following the Future Regulatory Framework Review the regulators will take on significant new rulemaking responsibilities. It is important to balance these new responsibilities for the independent regulators with clear accountability, appropriate democratic input, and transparent oversight. Through the Financial Services and Markets Bill the government is bringing forward measures to achieve this balance.

Zambia: Debts

Patrick Grady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with UK-based private creditors and financial institutions that have bought debt owed by Zambia as part of its recent debt restructuring process.

Andrew Griffith: The Common Framework was agreed in November 2020 by the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, to help deliver a long-term, sustainable approach for supporting low-income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities. Zambia is one of three countries – along with Chad and Ethiopia - to have so far requested the Common Framework. Private sector participation in the Common Framework is critical. Under the terms of the Common Framework, a debtor country that signs an MoU with participating official creditors will be required to seek from all private creditors a treatment at least as favourable. Accordingly, once Zambia signs an MoU for its case it will need to engage its private creditors to ensure their participation on comparable terms.The Government engages private sector creditors on international debt issues in a number of fora and will work closely with its international partners to ensure private creditors fully play their part in Zambia’s restructuring.

Southern Africa: Debts

Patrick Grady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the context of remarks made by Anglican Bishops at the recent Lambeth Conference, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of cancelling debts owed by countries in southern Africa that are facing food shortages.

Andrew Griffith: The Government recognises the significant debt vulnerabilities in developing countries and the critical challenge posed by food insecurity and is working closely with international partners to address these issues. The UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, agreed a new Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI (CF), which was designed to help deliver a long-term, sustainable approach for supporting low-income countries facing debt vulnerabilities. 73 of the most vulnerable countries are eligible to request a debt treatment under the Framework and our priority is to work with our G20 partners to implement it quickly for those who have requested it and support new countries who come forward. The UK also continues to work with the international community to directly support countries affected by the food security crisis. For example, the UK played a leading role in securing the World Bank’s commitment of $12 billion of new projects in the next 15 months to respond to the food security crisis, on top of $18 billion of existing projects.

Help to Buy Scheme

Mike Kane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to review the Help to Buy ISA maximum level which was set at £250,000 for properties outside London back in 2015, given the rise in the average costs of property.

Andrew Griffith: As first-time buyers tend to buy smaller (and therefore cheaper) properties, the Help to Buy: ISA’s property price cap of £250,000 for properties outside London (£450,000 within London) allows the Government to target support more precisely at the people the scheme is intended to help. While the Government keeps all savings policy under review, individuals with a Help to Buy: ISA can transfer their savings to a Lifetime ISA without incurring any penalties. The Lifetime ISA allows first-time buyers to benefit from the Government bonus when purchasing properties up to £450,000 anywhere in the UK. Further information on the Lifetime ISA together with a comprehensive list other forms of home purchase support schemes can be found on the Government’s website below: https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk/

Treasury: EU Law

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials in their Department are working on Retained EU Law legislation.

Andrew Griffith: We can confirm that HM Treasury does not hold information within the scope of your request. HMT holds a large body of Retained EU Law (REUL), primarily in relation to Financial Services. A number of officials from across HMT work on REUL legislation. This work is carried out as part of officials’ normal business activities, and we do not record the amount of staff time spent specifically on this work.

Electronic Funds Transfer: Fraud

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the value of funds lost to push payment fraud in each of the last five years.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) value and (b) proportion of funds lost due to push payment fraud have been repaid to consumers in each of the last five years.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of which banks have been impacted by push payment fraud (a) as a percentage of the impact as a whole, (b) over each of the past five years, in terms of (i) being host to the accounts where funds have been lost to this fraud, and (ii) being the host bank of accounts perpetrating this fraud.

Andrew Griffith: The Government recognises the growing threat posed to consumers by Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, with increasingly sophisticated scams that can be detrimental to people’s lives. The Government is committed to tackling fraud within payments networks. That is why the Government has introduced legislation as part of the Financial Services & Markets Bill to enable the PSR to require payment service providers to reimburse APP scam victims. The Government believes this will ensure more consistent and comprehensive reimbursement for future APP scam victims. Currently, data relating to the amounts lost and returned following APP scams is collected by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and by UK Finance. The latter regularly issues this data in publications such as its Annual Fraud Report: in 2021 for instance, UK Finance recorded gross annual losses of roughly £583 million, an increase of 39% by value over 2020, of which roughly £271 million (46%) was returned to victims. Due to changes in how APP scams are identified and reported, UK Finance note that data for years prior to 2020 is not directly comparable. More comprehensive data on APP scams can be found in UK Finance’s 2022 Fraud Report: www.ukfinance.org.uk/policy-and-guidance/reports-and-publications/annual-fraud-report-2022 More specific data regarding the impact of APP scams on individual payment service providers does not usually form a part of these publications. However, as detailed in its 2021 consultation on APP scams, the PSR has proposed requiring the 12 largest groups of UK payment service providers (including the main High Street banks) to publish a balanced scorecard of APP scam data on a six-monthly basis, setting out their individual performance in relation to APP scams. This would include their APP scam rates, their rates of reimbursement for customers scammed, as well as comparative data on the providers receiving APP scam payments. The PSR expect the provision of this data to provide strong reputational incentives on payment service providers to reduce APP scam losses incurred by consumers, both through preventing APP scams and reimbursing those who are scammed. The PSR will respond to this consultation in due course.

Barclays: Tamworth

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with representatives of Barclays Bank on that bank's decision to close its Tamworth branch.

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had discussions with representatives of Barclays on its decision to close the bank branch in Tamworth.

Andrew Griffith: Treasury ministers and officials regularly engage with Barclays UK on a variety of key policy issues. Decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial decision for banks and building societies.   However, the Government firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have appropriate access to banking services.The largest banks and building societies have been signed up to the Access to Banking Standard since 2017, which commits them to ensure that customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services.Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority also sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to close branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.

Remote Working: Tax Allowances

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to increase the maximum tax relief claim for job expenses for working from home, in the context of rising gas and electricity costs.

Richard Fuller: Eligible employees can claim tax relief on the allowance of £6 per week without the need to provide evidence of expenditure. The amount was increased from £4 per week in April 2020. As with all aspect of the tax system, the Government keeps tax reliefs under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances. Employees who are eligible for tax relief for working from home can claim relief on the actual amount of additional household costs, providing they can provide evidence of the increased amount.

Charging Points: VAT

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the rate of VAT on public electric vehicle charging points to five per cent, in the context of (a) the VAT rate for domestic energy and (b) encouraging people to buy electric vehicles.

Richard Fuller: In order to keep costs down for families, the supply of electricity for domestic use, including charging an electric vehicle (EV) at home, attracts the reduced rate of VAT (five per cent). However, electricity supplied at EV charging points in public places is subject to the standard rate of VAT (twenty per cent). The Government has not specifically introduced a reduced rate for charging EVs at home. However, the practical challenges of differentiating between the electricity used at home for general domestic purposes, and electricity used to charge EVs currently mean that the reduced rate is effectively being applied to EV charging at home. Harmonising the rate of VAT on electricity for public and domestic charging points for electric vehicles would require the Government to expand the existing VAT relief on electricity for domestic use (that is also used to charge EVs at home) to electricity for use at public EV charge points and this would come at a cost. The Government has committed £2.5 billion since 2020 to support the transition to zero emission vehicles, which funds targeted vehicle grants and the rollout of EVs and charging infrastructure.

Public Sector: Workplace Pensions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of people expected to be affected by the Pensions Increase (Review) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/333) in the 2023/24 financial year.

Chris Philp: Section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 (as amended) read with the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 (as amended) provides for public service pensions to be increased annually by the same percentage as State additional pensions (State Earnings Related Pension and State Second Pension). State additional pensions were increased by 3.1 per cent from April 2022, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) in the 12 months from September 2020 to September 2021. From 11 April 2022, most public service pensions in payment were also increased by the same percentage, with pro-rata increases for those in payment for less than a year. The Pensions Increase (Review) Order 2022 covers “official pensions,” which are those pensions listed in Schedule 2 of the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971. This covers most public service pensions. There are, however, also a small number of other schemes (which are not official pensions) where the benefits are increased by analogy with official pensions under the rules applying to those schemes. Official pensions are increased as specified within the annual Pension Increase (Review) Orders, and the Order applies to a pension that began before or during the 12 months before the date that the Order commences and where the pension satisfies a condition qualifying for pension increases to be paid. The pensions increase is therefore usually paid to recipients aged 55 and over, or those aged less than 55 who are in receipt of a survivor's pension, or a pension paid on account of ill health. Pensions increases also apply to pensions in deferment, although the entitlement arises only when the pension comes into payment and the recipient satisfies a qualifying condition. Members currently accruing further pension benefits in schemes covered by these indexation provisions will also be entitled to receive increases under Pension Increase Orders and some who retire in future, particularly in the next few years, might be entitled to increases under the Pensions Increase Order 2022. Those affected by the Pension Increase (Review) Order 2022 in the 2022/23 financial year are therefore likely to equal:Total public service pensions in payment;Total public service pensions in deferment, most of which would be affected in due course;A proportion of total public service pensions still accruing, where some future pensions in payment and deferment might in due course be affected by the 2022 Order. That proportion cannot be readily assessed as it will depend on many variable and unknown factors, including future decisions by members about careers and retirements. Table 2 of the last ONS Occupational Pension Schemes Survey, assessing data up to 2019, estimated that there were then 5.3 million public sector pensions in payment; 4.7 million deferred public sector pensions; and 6.6 million active members of public sector pension schemes. However, this data will also include a small proportion of members who, for example, have defined contribution pensions and are not in arrangements necessarily affected by the Pension Increase (Review) Order 2022. In addition to those noted above, some private sector scheme rules provide that the defined benefit pensions of some or all members will increase in line with increases applying to official pensions. A further Pensions Increase (Review) Order will be made for the 2023/24 financial year, which would allow for movements in prices since the previous assessment based on September 2021 CPI.

VAT

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total VAT receipts contained in the (a) March 2021, (b) November 2021 and (c) March 2022 budgets for each financial year for the remaining parliamentary term.

Richard Fuller: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the Government’s official forecaster, with responsibility for providing independent analysis of the public finances. The forecast for VAT receipts for each financial year in the remaining parliamentary term are from the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2021, October 2021, and March 2022. These forecasts are as follows: Forecast for VAT Receipts (£Bn)2022-232023-242024-25March 2021 EFO145.6149.7155.1October 2021 EFO155.0159.1163.1March 2022 EFO154.2160.0164.7 Forecast for VAT Receipts (% of GDP)2022-232023-242024-25March 2021 EFO6.16.16.1October 2021 EFO6.26.26.1March 2022 EFO6.16.16.0

Small Businesses: Taxation

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the average financial cost for small businesses of following the Making Tax Digital rules.

Richard Fuller: I refer the hon. Member for York Outer to the answer that was given on the 8 February 2022 to the Question UIN 116919. HMRC’s assessment of impacts on businesses was shown in the Tax Information and Impact Note published on 23 September 2021:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords. HMRC has undertaken significant engagement with business and accountancy representative bodies, as well as software developers, to understand the associated costs of Making Tax Digital mandation. Additional detail offering a more detailed look at the cost implications was published on 23 September 2021 here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-costs-and-benefits-for-the-next-phases-of-making-tax-digital.

Energy: Taxation

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to backdate the Energy Profits Levy for oil and gas producers to 2021.

Richard Fuller: The Energy Profits Levy (EPL) was introduced from 26 May 2022 and is expected to raise around £5 billion in its first year. The legislation also includes a sunset clause, effective at the end of December 2025. In future years, if oil and gas prices return to historically more normal levels, the Government will phase out the EPL. As with all our taxes, the Government will keep the EPL under review.

Sunscreens: VAT

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to remove VAT on sun screen products.

Richard Fuller: Under the current VAT rules, sun protection products are subject to the standard rate of VAT. High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and therefore is provided VAT free when dispensed by a pharmacist. The Government’s approach to this matter is to support safety campaigns that ensure that sunscreen is placed within its proper context; as one of the precautions that people can take against the harmful rays of the sun, but one that does not provide 100 per cent protection. Advice from leading cancer charities recommends a range of steps people can take for protection, which includes avoiding long periods of exposure, staying in the shade at peak hours, and protecting themselves with a hat and sunglasses. The Government keeps all taxes under review and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy.

VAT: Inflation

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of lifting the VAT registration threshold in line with inflation.

Richard Fuller: The UK has the highest VAT registration threshold in the OECD and as compared to EU Member States at £85,000. This keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT altogether. Whilst the Government keeps all taxes under review, it was announced at Budget 2021 that the VAT threshold will be maintained at its current level of £85,000 until 31 March 2024.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set the timescale for the implementation of tariff reimbursement scheme in relation to movements covered by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Richard Fuller: The Government remains committed to establishing a reimbursement scheme for goods which have attracted a tariff upon entering Northern Ireland that can subsequently be shown to have remained in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK. Traders can use the customs duty waiver scheme where they are eligible. Further guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-waiver-for-duty-on-goods-that-you-bring-to-northern-ireland-from-great-britain.

Solar Power: Tax Allowances

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the reach of the tax super-deduction for the installation of solar panels so that the deduction can be used by a broader range of businesses including domestic landlords.

Richard Fuller: Solar panels are classified as special rate assets in the capital allowances system. This means that, until 31 March 2023, they qualify for the 50 per cent first-year allowance for special rate assets that was announced alongside the super-deduction. Solar panels also qualify for the Annual Investment Allowance which provides 100 per cent relief for plant and machinery investments up to a limit of £1 million, until 31 March 2023. Property businesses investing in plant and machinery for use in dwelling-houses cannot claim capital allowances on that expenditure. Therefore, expenditure incurred on solar panels by a domestic landlord is unlikely to qualify for capital allowances. To help households improve energy efficiency, at Spring Statement 2022, the Government announced the expansion of the VAT relief on the installation of energy saving materials (ESMs) to residential accommodation in Great Britain. Qualifying installations, including solar panels and heat pumps, will benefit from a VAT zero-rate until April 2027. Overall, this represents an additional £280 million of support for investment in ESMs over the next five years. To support businesses to improve energy efficiency, at Autumn Budget 2021, the Government also announced new business rates support for green technology which is expected to be worth around £170 million over the next five years, to support the decarbonisation of buildings, including rooftop solar panels.

Revenue and Customs: Repayments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the time taken by HM Revenue and Customs to pay tax refunds and the impact on individuals and businesses awaiting those refunds; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Fuller: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. HMRC performance data is published on a monthly basis here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports. Quarterly data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates.

National Insurance Contributions: Overseas Workers

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) the requirement for British nationals living overseas requesting a NI38 document for National Insurance contributions to do so by telephone and to return signed paper documents to the Department and (b) moving the entire process online.

Richard Fuller: The NI38 document is freely available on gov.uk, guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-security-abroad-ni38. Once the NI38 is reviewed online, if appropriate, the customer should complete the CF38 form and return it to HMRC. No comparative assessments have been made and the CF38 form is not on the digital migration plans at this time.

Royal Ulster Constabulary: Museums and Galleries

Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the funding his Department committed for the establishment of a Royal Ulster Constabulary museum in Northern Ireland is still available.

Chris Philp: Over the Spending Review 2021 period, the Northern Ireland Executive is receiving an average of £1.6 billion per year of additional funding through the Barnett formula on top of its £13.4 billion annual baseline.It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to decide how to allocate their funding across their devolved responsibilities, including how to provide support to the culture sector.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Disinformation

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many times Government teams tackling disinformation have reported content or user accounts to social media providers in the past 12 months.

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of reports about content or user accounts made to social media providers by Government units established to tackle disinformation resulted in action being taken by the social media providers in the last 12 months.

Damian Collins: The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. The Counter Disinformation Unit team, based in DCMS, works to understand the scope, scale and reach of disinformation and works with a range of partners, including social media platforms, to tackle it.The primary purpose of the team is not to spot every instance of disinformation across all social media platforms, but rather to understand overall trends and coordinated attempts to artificially manipulate the information environment. When the Unit does identify particular pieces of harmful content which may violate platforms’ terms of service these are referred to the relevant platform for consideration, who in turn decide what action to take.As an operational matter it is not appropriate for the government to publicly provide details of content reported to platforms as doing so would give malign actors insight into our capabilities.

BBC News

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the merger of BBC News and BBC World channels on domestic political news coverage.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed merger between BBC News and the BBC World Service on the quality of news.

Julia Lopez: The Government wants to see the BBC continue to serve both UK and international audiences with high quality, accurate and impartial news and information, which is an essential part of its Mission and Public Purposes.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the government and the government cannot intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operations. It would therefore be inappropriate for the government to intervene in their decision to merge BBC News and BBC World News.Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the BBC, is responsible for ensuring that the BBC continues to meet the public service obligations set out in the BBC Charter, Agreement, and Operating Licence. In response to the BBC's announcement, Ofcom has said that it expects the BBC to be clear about how it plans to ensure that BBC News will continue to provide high quality UK news. Ofcom has also stated that it will continue to develop its understanding of the detail of the BBC’s proposals, and that if issues of concern arise Ofcom will work with the BBC to address them, and if necessary, take steps to ensure the BBC continues to deliver for audiences in the UK.

Independent Press Standards Organisation

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what data her Department holds on (a) the number of fines imposed and (b) how many standards investigations have been launched by IPSO since 2014.

Julia Lopez: Since the report of the Leveson Inquiry was published in 2012, we have seen a fundamental reform of the self-regulatory landscape for the press, including the establishment of two new regulators, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and The Independent Monitor for the Press (IMPRESS). The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by circulation—are members of IPSO. A small number of publishers have joined IMPRESS.These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections.The Government is committed to independent self-regulation of the press, and does not intervene in or oversee the work of IPSO.

Press: Privacy

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of current trends in the levels of press (a) intrusion and (b) harassment of grieving families in the UK.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not intervene in what the press can and cannot publish. We are clear, however, that with this freedom, comes responsibility, which media organisations must take seriously. It is important that there exists an independent self regulatory regime to ensure that the press adheres to a wide set of clear and appropriate standards, and to offer individuals a means of redress where these are not met.

Telecommunications: Prices

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps are being taken by her Department to help prevent price increases over and above CPI by telecoms companies.

Julia Lopez: Annual price increases are contained within the terms and conditions that consumers agree to when taking out their communications service. Ofcom General Condition (c1.3) requires operators to provide customers with a clear summary of their contract terms - including any elements relating to price rises - prior to final sale.We continue to engage with the sector regarding affordability and pricing. Customers should check whether they are in their minimum contract period as they may be able to save money by negotiating with their existing provider or consider switching. Figures released by Ofcom in November 2021, show that 35% of consumers in 2020 were out of contract, and the average out of contract broadband customer could save more than £61 a year by switching providers.

Emergency Services Network

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which commercial operators have (a) agreed and (b) shown an interest in utilising the infrastructure associated with the Extended Service Area Masts at locations (i) EAS0021, (ii) EAS0028, (iii) EAS0701 and (iv) EAS1013.

Julia Lopez: As part of the Shared Rural Network £184m of the £500m in government funding for the programme will be made available to the Home Office and the mobile network operators to upgrade Extended Area Service (EAS) masts being built as part of the Emergency Services Network (ESN) for commercial use by the four mobile network operators. This will help eliminate ‘total not-spots’ - the hard to reach areas where there is currently no 4G coverage at all from any operatorAll four mobile network operators have shown an interest in deploying on EAS sites. BT/EE will deploy on all feasible sites as part of the ESN project. The other operators will be able to commit to individual sites after design and acquisition work being performed for SRN by the Home Office has been completedWe can confirm that the design and acquisition of upgrades to enable SRN deployment on EAS0021, EAS0701 and EAS1013 have now started and should be handed over to the operators in 2023 at the latest, should the sites pass our reviews successfully. However, a site can be withdrawn from consideration at any point due to a number of factors such as value for money, planning issues and the level of coverage provided. Once a site is passed over to the operators they then have 12 months to activate it commercially.

BBC: Religious Broadcasting

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the BBC on reports of its plans to reduce the budget for Songs of Praise.

Julia Lopez: The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the Government and the Government cannot intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operations. It would therefore be inappropriate for the government to intervene in BBC spending decisions, including any BBC proposals to alter its budget for Songs of Praise.Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the BBC, is responsible for ensuring that the BBC continues to meet the public service obligations set out in the BBC Charter, Agreement, and Operating Licence. The BBC is required to deliver its remit, reflecting, representing and serving the diverse communities of all the United Kingdom’s nations, regions and communities. This requirement includes the obligation on the BBC to provide religious programming.

BBC: Local Broadcasting

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the BBC on its assessment of the potential impact of ending the weekly current affairs programme entitled We Are England on the provision of regional news broadcasts.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that local news production is at the centre of (a) the BBC and (b) other modern media stations.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of programme sharing across neighbouring regional stations by the BBC on local news provision.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has plans to help the BBC increase funding for regional broadcasting.

Julia Lopez: The Government recognises that local and regional news and current affairs play a vital role in bringing communities together and providing shared experiences across the UK, and the BBC has an important role to play.The BBC’s mission and public purposes are set out in the Royal Charter. The Charter requires the BBC to provide impartial news and information to help build people’s understanding of all parts of the United Kingdom and of the wider world. The BBC should offer a range and depth of analysis so that all audiences can engage fully with major local, regional, national, United Kingdom and global issues.This is alongside broader legislative and regulatory obligations for all public service broadcasters, including the BBC, which are required to provide high quality, impartial news and current affairs programmes. The BBC, ITV and STV are also required to provide regional news. The Government has no plans to relax these requirements.The BBC was given a fair licence fee settlement that aims to support households at a time when they need that support the most. It sends an important message about keeping costs down while also giving the BBC what it needs to deliver on its remit. With this settlement, the BBC will continue to receive around £3.8 billion in annual public funding, allowing it to deliver its mission and public purposes and to continue doing what it does best.As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the Government, and decisions over its spending and how it meets its obligations and delivers its services are a matter for the BBC.

Building Digital UK

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many operator build plans has Building Digital UK accepted in full as part of its market analysis.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many operator build plans are under review by Building Digital UK as part of its Gigabit Open Market Review and Public Review activity as of 2 September 2022.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many operator build plans have been (a) partially accepted and (b) rejected by Building Digital UK as part of its market analysis.

Julia Lopez: As part of our Open Market Review and Public Review processes for Project Gigabit we ask broadband suppliers to submit build plans containing their current coverage and/or future build intentions. Building Digital UK (BDUK) encourages suppliers to provide as much information as possible in support of their claims and plans, with each submission assessed on its own merits.Since the first BDUK-led Open Market Review was launched in March 2021, eight build plans have been assessed as credible in full by BDUK. A further 143 build plans have been partially assessed as credible, and 64 build plans have been assessed as not currently credible in full or in part.As of 2 September 2022, 52 operator build plans are in the process of being assessed.BDUK reassesses suppliers’ build plans on a regular basis through our National Rolling Open Market Review. This ensures that we have the most up to date information about these suppliers’ existing and planned build which we use to continuously inform where subsidy is likely to be needed to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to hard-to-reach areas.

Broadband: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the provision of (a) fast and (b) reliable broadband to (i) homes and (ii) business in Solihull constituency.

Julia Lopez: Gigabit broadband coverage is expanding rapidly in Solihull. According to the independent website www.thinkbroadband.com almost 98% of premises in the constituency now have access to gigabit-capable broadband, which is above the national average of 70%. Over 99% of premises in Solihull also have access to superfast broadband with speeds of at least 30 Mbps.We are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit so homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas can access gigabit broadband. A core element of the programme is delivered through regional and local contracts that provide subsidies to broadband suppliers to build gigabit-capable infrastructure to premises that would not otherwise be reached through suppliers’ commercial plans.Solihull is included in our regional supplier procurement for Leicestershire and Warwickshire, which we plan to launch between February and April 2023. A small number of premises in Solihull are likely to be included in the procurement, taking into account the current availability of gigabit broadband and suppliers’ build plans for the area.Some parts of Solihull may also be included in the intervention area for our regional supplier procurement covering Birmingham and the Black Country. We are currently conducting market engagement which will help to inform us of the extent of public intervention that is required in these areas.Some homes and businesses may also be able to apply for subsidy via the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides a micro-grant of up to £1,500 for residents and up to £3,500 for businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband.

Television Licences: Concessions

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing free TV licences for those suffering from dementia.

Julia Lopez: TV Licence concessions are available to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old, and people aged 75 and over in receipt of Pension Credit. There are no further concessions available for people with disabilities or other health conditions. The licence fee settlement covers the period until 31 March 2028.

Local Press: Government Assistance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support journalists at local newspapers, in the context of rising inflation.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of (a) local and (b) regional news outlets on the impact of the economic situation on (i) those organisations and (ii) their employees.

Julia Lopez: The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. In May, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550. This package builds on the over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP.With regard to energy costs, while the majority of UK non-domestic customers are on fixed price energy deals, some are not. Businesses did not benefit from the Ofgem price cap and there was a risk that some would fall through the gap, unable to fix their energy price and unable to access the kind of support we are making available to households. A new 6-month scheme for businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including charities and public sector organisations like schools) will be offered support as is being provided for consumers. After this initial 6 month scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support. Further details will be published shortly.In addition to timely, temporary and targeted support, the government is also committed to tackling the root cause of the cost of living challenge – high inflation. Through independent monetary policy, responsible management of the public finances and supply-side reforms, we will combat high inflation and reduce it over time.More specifically in relation to local and regional news outlets, the government is committed to supporting local newspapers as vital pillars of our communities. We are in regular contact with news organisations to understand the financial pressures they face and we have taken action to support them. Our plans for a pro-competition regime for digital markets will, among many other things, help to rebalance the relationship between news publishers and online platforms. We have also delivered a £2 million pilot innovation fund, zero rated VAT on e-newspapers, extended business rates relief on local newspaper office space, and published the Online Media Literacy Strategy. In addition, the BBC Charter Mid Term Review will evaluate how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to the local news sector. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interest of promoting and sustaining the sector.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Termination of Employment

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many members of staff have left her Department since 12 December 2019.

Julia Lopez: 1506 members of staff (permanent, FTA and contractors) have left the Department since 12 December 2019.

Building Digital UK

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many network operators have submitted build plans to Building Digital UK as part of the Gigabit Open Market Review and Public Review activity as of 2 September 2022.

Julia Lopez: As part of our Open Market Review and Public Review processes for Project Gigabit we ask broadband suppliers to submit build plans containing their current coverage and/or future build intentions. As of 2 September 2022, 61 broadband suppliers have submitted build plans to Building Digital UK.

Building Digital UK: Contracts

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many unique property numbers in total have been included within operator build plans submitted to Building Digital UK.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many unique property numbers in total have been included within operator build plans submitted to Building Digital UK that have subsequently been rejected by the agency.

Julia Lopez: As part of our Open Market Review and Public Review processes for Project Gigabit we ask broadband suppliers to submit build plans containing their current coverage and/or future build intentions. As of 2 September 2022, suppliers have submitted build plans for a total of 32.7 million premises. This figure includes all premises submitted to BDUK by a supplier, including where a supplier has indicated in their response that they do not expect to build to the premises commercially but has included them for completeness. As of 2 September 2022, build plans for 4.5 million premises were not assessed as credible.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to (a) support and (b) accelerate the roll-out of (i) full-fibre broadband and (ii) 5g in rural communities.

Julia Lopez: In March 2021 we launched Project Gigabit, our £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK. Project Gigabit’s objective is to level up the UK by giving hard-to-reach areas access to gigabit-capable internet speeds and, coupled with commercial gigabit delivery, ensuring almost all of the UK has access to gigabit-capable internet as soon as possible.Our Project Gigabit procurements are prioritising delivery to rural, hard-to-reach premises and to those with the lowest broadband speeds. We have recently signed our first local Project Gigabit contract in North Dorset and expect to award further contracts over the coming months.Furthermore, up to £210 million is available for Gigabit Broadband Vouchers, which are already helping communities that are not in line for commercial connections right now.Building Digital UK’s legacy and current programmes have already upgraded over 740,000 hard-to-reach premises to gigabit speeds, and we are continuing to move at pace.5G network rollout is a matter for industry, but we have seen good progress. Up to half of the properties in the UK are located in an area with outdoor 5G coverage available from at least one mobile network operator according to the latest statistics from communications regulator Ofcom.We recently made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. The changes, which came into force on 4 April 2022, enable operators to upgrade existing sites for 5G and share infrastructure to improve mobile coverage, particularly in more rural areas. We are reducing further barriers to deployment by legislating to reform the Electronic Communications Code through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.The Government is developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to set out a strategic framework for the deployment and adoption of 5G, and within the Strategy we will be establishing a new ambition for 5G.

Building Digital UK: Contracts

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of the operator build plans that have been submitted to Building Digital UK which include unique property reference numbers have been designated as (a) black, (b) grey, (c) under review, (d) voucher priority area and (e) white as part of Building Digital UK's ongoing analysis.

Julia Lopez: The table below provides the number and proportion of premises included in operator build plans that have been submitted to Building Digital UK showing the breakdown between premises that have been classified through a subsidy control process as black, grey, under review, white or have not yet been assessed.StatusNumber of unique premises%Gigabit Black3,800,00012Gigabit Grey15,200,00046Gigabit Under Review8,200,00025Gigabit White4,500,00014Not yet assessed1,100,0003Total32,700,000100BDUK expects the proportion of black / grey / under review premises to grow over time, as more suppliers provide greater or updated information in support of their plans through subsequent mapping exercises.Voucher Priority Areas are determined separately from subsidy control processes and are confirmed when invitations to tender for each procurement Lot are issued by BDUK. To date, 200,000 premises have been assigned by BDUK as within a Voucher Priority Area, and these include both premises that are commercially viable for a gigabit connection and those that require public subsidy.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish her department’s data for spending over £500 using an electronic purchasing card during the financial years 2018-19 to 2020-21.

Julia Lopez: The Department aims to publish details of transactions over £500, using electronic purchasing cards, for financial years 2018-19 to 2020-21 by October 2022.

Football Index

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how investigations into the collapse of football index are progressing; when she expect those investigations to conclude; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Collins: In March 2021, the Gambling Commission launched an investigation into BetIndex, the operator of Football Index. This has now concluded and resulted in the revocation of BetIndex’s licence to operate.Following information received from the administrators and the Gambling Commission, the Insolvency Service has confirmed that the conduct of Betindex Limited’s directors is currently being investigated by them. The progress and outcome of the investigation will depend on the evidence obtained. It will not be possible for the Insolvency Service to comment on the investigation while it is ongoing.

Broadband: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her department is taking to increase broadband speed in Romford.

Julia Lopez: The Government is delivering the biggest broadband upgrade in UK history. Partly as a result of our measures to bust barriers and drive competition in the UK market, 85.5% of Romford’s premises now have access to gigabit capable connections, up from 6% in September 2020.More broadly, 70% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband, continuing a rate of incremental growth in line with meeting the target of at least 85% gigabit-capable coverage across the country by 2025. Where private sector deployment is not viable without subsidy, our £5bn Project Gigabit will contribute to nationwide coverage.

Broadband: Misrepresentation

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made representations to representatives of (a) Ofcom and (b) the Advertising Standards Agency on consumers being misled in respect of the sale of fibre to the cabinet products (FTTC) as full-fibre products; and if she will make a statement.

Julia Lopez: In 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's regulator of advertising, reviewed consumer understanding of the term ‘fibre’ as used in broadband advertising (particularly for part-fibre services such as Fibre to the Cabinet) and any impact the use of this term has on consumers’ transactional decisions. The ASA engaged with stakeholders and received a range of responses from providers of part-fibre and full-fibre broadband services, consumer organisations and other regulators.The ASA published their findings in November 2017 and concluded by stating the following: “It is not possible to conclude that the word ‘fibre’, as currently used in part-fibre advertising, is likely to mislead and misinform consumers.”Both the ASA and Ofcom are independent regulators and such matters relating to industry rules on advertising and broadband speed claims are a matter for their discretion.

Russian Embassy: Twitter

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) social media platforms to prevent the Russian Embassy in the UK from sharing hateful content relating to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine via its official Twitter account.

Damian Collins: The Government takes the issue of disinformation seriously. The DCMS Counter Disinformation Unit leads the domestic operational and policy response for countering disinformation across HMG, working closely with major social media platforms to encourage them to swiftly remove disinformation and coordinated inauthentic or manipulated behaviour, as per their Terms of Service. We also engage with platforms to understand policy changes and other countermeasures related to Russian information activities, and the effectiveness of these actions. This work aids HMG assessment bodies and the UK Government Information Cell, which brings together the government’s counter-disinformation expertise and capabilities to identify and counter Russian information aggression and disinformation.It remains of significant concern that the network of Russian diplomatic accounts continues to disseminate pro-Russian content with the aim of sowing distrust and questioning the veracity of reports of Russian atrocities committed in Ukraine. Although the government welcomes steps that platforms have taken in response, including demonetising, deamplifying and labelling content from Russian state affiliated accounts, the government is clear that there is more that needs to be done and that the recent tweets from the Russian Embassy in the UK are unacceptable. In our view Twitter should apply its policies consistently, removing content that it has acknowledged breaches its Terms of Service.

Cultural Heritage: South Asia

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department last funded celebrations, exhibitions and programmes related to (a) the contributions of the South Asian community to UK life and (b) the culture, history and religions of South Asian countries; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department has funded many exhibitions and programmes related to the contribution of South Asian culture and history through the bodies it funds.Significant projects have been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund between 2003- 2021, in the London Borough of Harrow, with a total investment of £178,732 which explored and celebrated the South Asian community. Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants has also supported a wide range of organisations and events including: the South Asian Heritage Trust, which delivers their annual South Asian Heritage Month observance; Luton Mela, a festival of South Asian arts and cultural heritage; and Croydon’s Beeja Dance Company who play a national role in developing the next generation of Indian dance leaders in the UK.Current projects supported by Historic England are celebrating South Asian Places of Worship through thematic listing and research, and two projects have been awarded through their Everyday Heritage programme to the Bengali Photography Archive and the Sikh Development Academy.There are also future events to look forward to. In 2023 the Manchester Museum will unveil a new South Asian gallery in partnership with the British Museum and which has been part-funded by a £5m grant from the government. The British Library also plays a part in celebrating South Asian culture and history through their partnership programmes and events such as the upcoming Lahore literature festival in 2023.

Unboxed: Overseas Visitors

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2022 to Question 13078, if she will publish the (a) names, (b) positions and (c) nationalities of the 12 international delegates who visited Scotland in August; and what conclusions were reached in consultation with that delegation regarding the potential of Unboxed projects to tour overseas.

Nigel Huddleston: UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK delivered two five-day international delegations in partnership with the British Council. The names, positions and nationalities of the delegates can be found here.The delegations were devised to facilitate knowledge exchange and to share practice regarding interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement and creative production. Commercial touring opportunities are now being explored in several countries.

Charities and Religious Buildings: Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the increase in energy costs on (a) charities and (b) places of worship.

Nigel Huddleston: As households and communities face rising energy prices, charities are seeing increased demand for their services while contending with the same price increases themselves. Places of worship are facing similar price pressures and increased running costs.With government support, charities have shown significant resilience over the past two years, and will again be crucial in supporting communities and households over the winter.That is why the government will support all charities, public sector organisations and businesses with their energy costs this winter, offering an energy price guarantee for six months, equivalent to the protection offered to British households. Further details will be announced in due course.Through engagement with key stakeholders, government officials are continuously monitoring the impact of energy costs on the charity sector and other civil society organisations, such as places of worship.

Culture: Finance

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of rising inflation on the heritage and culture sector; and whether her Department has plans to increase funding to (a) museums, (b) galleries and (c) other heritage organisations to (i) support their continued operation and (ii) ensure their employees are paid an adequate wage.

Nigel Huddleston: As the Prime Minister stated to Parliament on 8 September, and as the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy set out in a written ministerial statement on the same day, the government is acting to protect the UK from the spiralling costs of energy. The Government will support all business, charities and public sector organisations with their energy costs this winter, offering an equivalent guarantee to that for households for six months.The written ministerial statement can be found here.The Government continues to support the UK’s world-leading culture and heritage sectors, building on unprecedented support during the pandemic, and our long-term investment in these areas. My department is currently engaging with museum and heritage stakeholders to understand the impact of energy and inflation increases on the sector.

Holiday Accommodation: Regulation

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to regulate (a) operation and (b) growth in the number of Airbnb properties in residential areas.

Nigel Huddleston: The sharing economy has brought many benefits to the tourism sector and wider economy, as well as creating an additional income stream for homeowners. However, we recognise that the increase in short-term letting has also prompted some concerns. These include the impact on the housing market and local communities, and a sense that new entrants in the market are not being held to the same health and safety standards as, for example, hotels and B&Bs.The Government committed in the Tourism Recovery Plan published in June last year to consider a possible Short Term Accommodation Registration Scheme in England. As a first step in this process, a Call for Evidence was published on 29 June and runs until 21 September.We want to hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, in order to build a much-needed evidence base on these issues and enable us to develop proportionate policy responses for a future consultation. We ideally want to strike a balance between the benefits of the sharing economy and the concerns of the impacts on some communities, alongside ensuring consistency in quality among the range of different tourism accommodation providers.

Voluntary Work

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to ensure the fair treatment of volunteers within the voluntary and charitable work sector.

Nigel Huddleston: Volunteering is critical to a vibrant and resilient civil society; it benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on beneficiaries and their communities.This Government is committed to enabling people to take part in all forms of social action, including volunteering. We know the profound benefit that volunteering has on the individual, on communities and on society.Volunteers do not have a contract of employment as a volunteer, so do not have the same rights as an employee or worker, and are not placed under the same obligations. However, they will usually be given a volunteer agreement that explains:the level of supervision and support they will getwhat training they will getwhether they are covered under the organisation’s employer or public liability insurancehealth and safety issuesany expenses the organisation will cover.The volunteer agreement is not a contract, but it is a good way of setting out what volunteers can expect from the organisation they are volunteering for. You can find information about this at https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/pay-and-expenses. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) also has information on volunteers’ legal status and guidance on solving volunteer problems.If a volunteer believes they are treated unfairly, there is recourse available to them through a variety of means. Volunteers for charities are able to raise concerns to the Charity Commission. The Health and Safety Executive, Disclosure and Barring Service, and the Information Commissioner's Office are also useful points of contact.

Charities: Government Assistance

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to (a) charities and (b) other similar organisations with rising energy costs.

Nigel Huddleston: As households and communities face rising energy prices, charities are seeing increased demand for their services while contending with the same price increases themselves.With government support, charities have shown significant resilience over the past two years, and will again be crucial in supporting communities and households over the winter.That is why the government will support all charities, public sector organisations and businesses with their energy costs this winter, offering an energy price guarantee for six months, equivalent to the protection offered to British households. Further details will be announced in due course.My department will keep engaging with their counterparts across the sector and government to continuously monitor the impact of rising energy costs on the charity and broader civil society sector.

Football: Females

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to provide more pitches and facilities for women's football teams.

Nigel Huddleston: Each year, the government invests £18 million into community sport facilities via the Football Foundation, alongside the English Football Association and the Premier League. A further £21 million was invested in England in 2021/22, supporting a range of projects to deliver improved facilities in deprived areas, support multi-sport use and increase participation among currently under-represented groups including women and girls and disabled players. The Government has committed another £205 million between 2022 and 2025, with plans for this investment due to be announced in the Autumn.We are working with the FA to build on the momentum created by the Women's Euros to ensure there is a legacy of growth in women and girls, including 500,000 new football opportunities to engage women and girls across the nine host cities by 2024, and 20,000 more women playing for fun across the country. To raise the profile of facilities in the UK, and to commemorate the Lionesses, the Football Foundation is working with facility owners to name pitches/facilities in towns and cities that have a strong link to each tournament winning squad member.

Sports: Hitchin and Harpenden

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Government (a) has invested and (b) plans to invest in grassroots sports facilities in Hitchin and Harpenden constituency between 2019 and 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: Sport and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and everyone, regardless of their background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.Since 2019, the department, through Sport England, has invested 24 grants totalling £171,061 into a wide range of grassroots sport projects within the Hitchin and Harpenden constituency. In addition, the Football Foundation, a charity jointly-funded by Sport England, has awarded £944,850 to develop football and multi-use grassroots sports facilities in the same period.Sport England continues to work with Local Authorities and grassroots sports facilities to ensure that future funding is targeted where it can best improve access to sport and physical activity.

Museums and Galleries

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing capital funding to support the establishment of local art galleries including in Tamworth.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government’s position towards the creation of new museums, as set out in the action plan following The Mendoza Review: an independent review of museums in England, is that public funding should only support the creation of new museums in areas and communities with a demonstrable need for them. Instead we have focused on investment in existing museums and galleries through capital programmes such as the DCMS / Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund and the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and our direct sponsorship of fifteen museum arm’s length bodies (encompassing 48 museum sites).Arts Council England is our arm’s-length body providing wider support and funding for museums and galleries, and its Museum Development services can provide guidance to organisations on how to open a new museum. They can help develop thinking on how the proposed museum fits within the ecology of arts, culture and heritage in the local area, including determining the scale and interest of the potential audience, and advise on potential avenues for capital funding.

Unboxed

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she took to ensure the Unboxed festival delivered value for money.

Nigel Huddleston: The UNBOXED programme is still running. The live events programme will conclude at the end of October. A departmental Accounting Officer Assessment for the UNBOXED programme was published on 12 August. It stated that our pre-delivery assessment of the costs and benefits for UNBOXED showed the programme would be value for money, even where some expected benefits are not monetisable. DCMS has kept the programme under review to ensure that it remains value for money.There is also an independent evaluation of the programme underway. This will consider areas such as job creation; training, development and volunteering opportunities offered; the number of people who experience UNBOXED in person and online; and the number of participants in the learning and engagement programmes delivered by the creative teams across the country. It will be published in early 2023.

Unboxed

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to assess the extent to which the Unboxed Festival met the objectives set for it.

Nigel Huddleston: The UNBOXED programme aims to bring people together and showcase our creativity and innovation to the world through 10 major commissions across the UK. There are 8 commissions that are live or about to go live, and the live events programme will conclude at the end of October. The UNBOXED delivery company, an arm’s length body of DCMS, continues to measure the programme’s progress and success, including through a range of key performance indicators.There is an independent evaluation of the programme underway. This will consider areas such as: job creation; training, development and volunteering opportunities offered; the number of people who will experience UNBOXED in person and online; and the number of participants in the learning and engagement programmes delivered by the creative teams across the country. The evaluation will be published in early 2023.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Energy

John Spellar: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the House authorities are taking to reduce (a) temperature settings on the estate and (b) energy use via other means.

Sir Charles Walker: (a) Where possible Parliament follows Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) guidelines for temperature standards in offices to ensure a comfortable working environment. When rooms have temperature controls for the user, there is a small threshold of which temperature can be raised or lowered to ensure rooms are not over cooled/heated.There are many differing levels of temperature control across the parliamentary estate, with some areas having no temperature control at all.We review the setpoints for heating and cooling regularly.(b) Parliamentary authorities take energy efficiency very seriously as part of its commitment to reducing its environmental impacts. Parliament has reduced its electricity consumption by 16.8% and gas consumption by 25.3% since 2008/09.The Building Management System has been upgraded recently to enable better control of the building services, such as resetting manual temperature changes every night to a CIBSE recommended setpoint.The Environmental Sustainability Team monitor and report performance energy and water use monthly, and report annually in the sustainability section of the Commission Annual Report.

Members: Security

James Wild: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission plays a role in the (a) award and (b) monitoring of the contract with ADT for the security of hon. Members.

Sir Charles Walker: The House of Commons Commission has high level oversight of financial management and procurement but delegates the procurement and management of individual contracts to the relevant House officials. The contract for Members Security Services was awarded in September 2021 following a robust procurement process managed in strict accordance with Public Contracts Regulations 2015. MPs’ interests were represented during the evaluation process by members of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) and the Director of the Member Services Team. The contract is currently managed by the Members’ Security Support Service (MSSS) in the Parliamentary Security Department. MSSS monitors the contract through regular review meetings with the contractor company, at which colleagues from IPSA and PPCS (Parliamentary Procurement & Commercial Service) are in attendance.